City Lights
by SidewalkChalk2718
Summary: When Ryou’s apartment burns down shortly before Christmas, he finds himself temporarily staying at Seto’s. But as Ryou discovers feelings for Seto, he questions just how temporary his stay could be… SR limeish goodness.
1. Metaphor

_Disclaimer: I disclaim the pusedounantidisowning of Yu Gi Oh … if you can make any sense of that_

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

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Yay! Chapter one is finally posted! This story is mostly told in Bakura's point of view, although there are a few sections where Yugi, Otogi, or Kaiba are the narrator. Occasionally it's also written in the third person. Don't worry; I've marked all the places where the POV switches take place (if it says SC, that means it's in the third person; SC is short for SidewalkChalk…for those of you who didn't catch that).

The fic begins in the gang's third year of college, four years after the end of the Egyptian arc. It's somewhat of an AU, because Yami no Yugi is still around, though he and Yugi did battle, and Yugi won. I'm planning a separate one shot to explain how that happened. Just trust me when I say I have a decent explanation for how it all worked out.

And most importantly, thank you Jessy-chan for Beta-ing this, and all the upcoming chapters. Even though I went and rewrote half this chapter after she fixed it -.- Sorry, Jessy-chan.

So, normally I'd answer reviewer's questions and comments here, but since this is the first chapter I'll just get going! Enjoy.

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**Metaphor**

n. Figurative language in which one idea or object is used to designate a dissimilar object or idea in order to suggest comparison.

.--Bakura--.

I've always wondered what Osaka must look like from above. Looking out from the large skyscrapers towering over the city at night, when all the neon lights are flashing brightly and car headlights form strange curving arcs through the streets, the view must be daunting. To stand above an ocean of light and shadow, and inevitably descend into the chaos, does it feel like drowning?

And if it were me standing there, would I acclimate myself to the impersonal silence of the cold glass window pane or would I find the courage to enter the sometimes suffocating living world beneath me, in hopes that someone in that crowd would hold my hand and tell me that it's okay, I'm alive?

"Hello? Sir? The library is closing in fifteen minutes." I was startled from my thoughts by the older woman at the desk behind me. "You'll need to leave now." She raised an eyebrow as I stared at her, confused. After a few seconds I finally understood what she meant and looked back at the pile of unread books on the table before me.

I groaned as I realized that I had wasted the past half an hour lost in thought instead of working on my term paper. A term paper which was already way past due, having been assigned a full three months ago. That and the term had just ended too.

"Go-gomensai (1)," I replied as I hastily shoved my notes into the pages of various textbooks, wrinkling the edges when I stuffed them into my backpack. The librarian looked annoyed at this blatant disregard for the condition of the aforementioned books, and I winced under her disapproving glare.

Quickly throwing the bag over my shoulder I practically ran out of the room mumbling a quiet thank you in response to her relieved "good evening."

My footsteps echoed emptily in the stairwell, and I slowed down as I reached the steps, not wanting to add tripping and falling to my embarrassment. With Christmas only a week away, most of the students had already returned home to their families or were as far from school as they could be. But due to an unfortunate accident involving otousan and an unreasonably cantankerous camel, I had to miss a full month of classes caring for him and his broken leg. This, of course, put me behind in my work, and now I was stuck making up a paper I should have finished back in October.

I readjusted my backpack as I reached the bottom of the stairs and shoved the door to the main floor open with my shoulder. It was almost one in the morning, I had been at the library since six, and all I had was a collection of miscellaneous sources that may or may not support my vague and entirely incomplete topic.

Yugi had offered to help me with my research, but ended up being dragged off at the last minute by Jonouchi and Honda instead to wait in line for tickets to a concert this Friday in Tokyo.

Jou and Honda had been waiting anxiously for the tickets to go on sale for two weeks now. And they were determined to stand in line, despite the unusually cold weather, until they got them. Yugi, of course, was commandeered as well, and Jou was about to bring me along too, had it not been for Yugi's insistence that I be allowed to study in peace.

I must remember to thank him the next time I see him. Jonouchi is very hard to refuse, once he has his mind set on something. Not that I was any more productive in the safe, warm confines of the library. However, I was safe and warm. That counts for something.

Somewhere between these musings I managed to make my way out of the university's library and out onto the sidewalk that led through the quad and into the city central beyond the campus.

The cold night air bit at my cheeks and I wrapped my scarf once more around my face, hunching over to further shield my neck and shoulders from the icy wind. I closed my eyes against the harsh air and continued to walk quickly towards the street.

It figures I forgot my coat at home, along with my cell phone and the memory stick that had all my previous research. I'd like to blame these details for my lack of progress, however the truth was that I just couldn't concentrate today. The hushed, almost threatening stillness of the library had driven my mind from the task at hand, and my focus had instead shifted out the window into the city.

Once again I had found myself contemplating the thin barrier between the busy world around me and myself. In so many ways I felt disconnected from the city goers I saw passing by, out doing their Christmas shopping and enjoying the holiday festivities that brought life to Osaka at this time of the year. I was not a part of that bustling crowd; I was indoors watching them. And even if I were among them, I would not be a part of them. I would still be an observer, regarding the life around me distantly, only half participating in the general hustle of the holiday season.

Shaking my head I quickened my pace and looked up at the night sky. These thoughts were depressing, yet I seemed to sink into them so often. I never felt quite connected to the world around me. Wait, that wasn't true; I don't always feel like this. When I'm with Yugi and the others I hardly think like this at all.

It's only when I'm alone, left to the silence of my mind, that I remember the isolation I endured due to the spirit in my sennen (2) ring, and indulge in the loneliness that haunted my childhood. And indeed it was an indulgence; I cannot deny that I felt safer in my solitude, distanced from the craziness of life that sometimes threatened to overwhelm me.

I had grown up alone, and now I was too used to my aloneness to adapt to anything else. Once again I blinked my eyes open, wondering if they had really been closed or if I had just not been seeing.

I assumed the latter as I promptly collided with the person crossing the path in front of me; not so gracefully slipping backwards and falling on my butt.

"Bakura?" A slightly familiar voice inquired above me. I looked up into the expressionless face of Kaiba Seto, who may have looked either amused or annoyed had he not been, as I just mentioned, expressionless. "What are you doing here?"

"I, ummm…" My mind went blank as I tried to process the question. I didn't quite know if Kaiba meant here as in outside, in this weather, at the campus, or in the snow on my butt, so I chose to shrug instead and unsteadily hoist myself and my backpack up. "I was just working on that term paper…" I trailed off.

"The one we wrote for Izawa-sensei's class? Wasn't that due a long time ago?" He raised one eyebrow in a slightly questioning manner. _It's only been a few weeks, _I whined to myself defensively.

"Hai (3)," I looked up at Kaiba nervously. I wasn't scared of him; but he had a way of making everyone feel just a little intimidated. "I was given an extension because of otousan's accident."

"I see." Kaiba looked off silently and I wondered if this meant I could leave. But before I could walk around him and escape he started talking again. "Do you need a ride?"

I blinked, wondering where that had come from. "I'm fine."

I wasn't used to Kaiba offering his assistance so randomly. But then again we had been in the same composition and cultural studies class for the entire semester, and we'd actually worked together quite a lot recently. Except for that month with otousan…

Kaiba eyed me skeptically, "it's not an inconvenience, Bakura." He looked at me as I continued to stare at him, tired, and still a little confused.

"Umm, okay." He started to walk off and I followed, slightly behind him with my hands stuffed in my pockets. Kaiba certainly wasn't warm and friendly, but I'd found that he wasn't the inhuman son of a … biscuit … that Jonouchi often accused him of being.

He was, er… is, actually quite intelligent, if not somewhat single-minded. And whenever we worked together, which seemed to be every time there was a partner assignment, he listened to my ideas with at least vague interest. He didn't immediately write me off as an inferior. I have a feeling I would have been quite annoyed if he had. Kaiba may be a child-genius, but I can at least hold my own in cultural studies; after all, it is my major.

Actually I'd enjoyed the times Kaiba and I had collaborated this semester. He was easy to work with once we got started. Kaiba was detail oriented and often caught my mistakes before they became disasters, and I had enough passion and interest in the subject for the both of us.

Granted, it was awkward at first. Kaiba couldn't always follow my rambling logic, and I was easily exasperated by his habit of pointing out all the faults. I thought conceptually and he thought realistically. But once we got used to each other's way of going about tasks, we were able to devise a system that worked.

"What was that assignment, again?" He asked abruptly. I paused a moment, not expecting to have to engage in a conversation. Then I recalled the actual directions we'd been given.

"The one where we had to 'write a persuasive essay on an aspect of cultural identification and how it affected the culture or people as individuals,'" I replied, lifting my hands to make quotation marks in the air with my index and middle fingers.

Kaiba nodded and we continued to walk in silence some ways before coming to the parking structure where the students were allowed to leave their vehicles. It was fairly obvious which car was Kaiba's – a bright red sports car. Mokuba had bragged once, during one of the few occasions when he'd dropped in on Yugi and us back in Domino, that his brother had paid 500,000 US dollars for the car (which Mokuba had picked out himself).

The car was probably worth somewhere around $100,000, but this was Kaiba, and I was not surprised that he had all that money to spare. I was surprised, however, to see Kaiba get in the driver's seat himself. I'd expected to find one of his many drivers waiting for him at the curb, since he always seemed to have them conveniently at hand.

I slid into the passenger seat, relieved to be out of the wind, and shoved my over-stuffed backpack between my feet on the floor.

"Where is your apartment?" Kaiba asked.

"Near the Nishikujo station," I answered automatically.

Leaning back against the expensive leather seats I realized just how tired I was. As Kaiba started up the car and pulled out of the structure I let the city signs blur before me and watched my reflection in the window fade and reappear with the various lights that flashed by.

"How long were you studying, you look exhausted." Again, I was startled by Kaiba's words, which seemed to come out of nowhere in the silence of the well soundproofed car.

"About six hours, I think." I looked to my left (the car was an American model and therefore the driver's side was reversed) and saw that Kaiba was still focused on the road.

"Hn," he answered, and we once again lapsed into silence.

"What were you doing at campus?" I asked, deciding that if Kaiba was going to keep asking questions I might as well continue the conversation. This way he wouldn't startle me again.

"I was just meeting with a counselor to correct my schedule for next semester. The counselor kept insisting that another humanities class would be beneficial but I hardly have the time or interest."

"Why were you in CCS then?" I blurted without thinking, using the acronym the students favored for the subject.

"They told me I had to take a writing intensive class to graduate, so I figured I might as well take something more advanced than introduction to writing. At least in that class I wasn't bored out of my mind." Kaiba kept his eyes on the road the whole time, and I sighed thinking about how I'd actually enjoyed the class, despite the loads of assignments we received each week.

But of course Kaiba wouldn't have much interest in any classes that didn't directly relate to business or technology. I found it odd, though, that he would take CCS. The course description said the class discussions would tend to be more abstract. Kaiba was not someone who liked to deal with abstractions.

However, I supposed that the subject might have been beneficial as it related to his interaction with foreign markets. And he hadn't seemed too bored in class. I'd found all of our discussions rather interesting, actually. Kaiba and I had different ways of looking at – well – everything. But it would be boring to sit and agree with someone for a whole hour.

As we got closer to my apartment I told Kaiba how to get to the complex, then drifted off again, wondering if the snow would last till Christmas. I hoped so.

The silence between Kaiba and I grew more protracted and awkward as we neared our destination.

The car pulled up to the apartments with a faint splash of tires on slushy pavement. I quickly opened the door, yelling a thank you, as I dashed towards the warmth of the building. The car pulled away as I reached the door, and I turned to see the taillights flashing at the corner.

I felt guilty for running out so quickly, but I was desperate to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere and retreat to my warm apartment as soon as possible.

As I made my way up the stairs to my second floor room, I wondered idly what Kaiba was thinking as he pulled off. The apartment complex wasn't too bad, though it was definitely far from anything Kaiba would be living in. The apartments were very small, as is typical of city housing. And my neighbors weren't exactly happy, settled families. I could only imagine Kaiba's reaction if he were to actually see my apartment. Not that it was messy, but it had the clutter that comes with having a very limited amount of space in which to live.

Unlike the regular students at Osaka University, Kaiba had opted out of the dorm life requisite for the freshman and sophomores, and thus had missed that wonderfully cramped lifestyle. Now, in our junior year, he no longer had to use his influence to get out of residential living. Although how he managed the previous two years I have no clue. Undoubtedly there was a great deal of money involved. That or Kaiba happened to own a significant portion of the University, which wouldn't surprise me.

The complex I currently lived in was inhabited mostly by college students like me, who were looking for a cheap place to live that was also close to the trains that encircled the metropolitan area. Walking down the hall I could hear some of the more unruly residents above, blasting a stereo and generally disturbing the relative peace of the apartment.

"I need to move," I sighed, and thought about how many times I'd come home ready to sleep only to be kept awake by the constant partying of my fellow students. Unfortunately, the landlord was younger himself and didn't enforce the regulations many other apartments enjoyed, such as being quiet at three in the morning!

At times like this I almost wished Yami no Yugi _hadn't_ banished the evil spirit in the sennen ring to the shadow realm. I might have enjoyed seeing him terrify my fellow residents if it meant they would actually be quiet. Then again, whenever my other self got involved, things tended to get unnecessarily violent. I have a feeling I would be exchanging my current living for one with bars and cement walls if I set him loose on the unsuspecting neighbors. However, if I explained what happened I might get lucky and be put in solitary confinement due to insanity, then the walls would be padded and I wouldn't have to worry about the other inmates.

I unlocked the door to my apartment and walked inside, relieved to finally be back. That is, until I realized that my backpack was no longer on my back, nor even in my possession. Groaning, I remembered that I'd left it in Kaiba's car, which was probably halfway across town by now.

I grabbed my cell phone off the counter, but before I could open my contacts list I saw that I had four messages, three of which were from Otogi. I shook my head wondering what he was calling about this time. Otogi had a way of leaving entirely pointless messages on my phone at all times of the day and night. Sometimes I wondered if he was really that bored at work, or if he just couldn't stand entertaining himself for more than two hours at a time.

I dialed the voicemail and waited for the automated voice to repeat the familiar words, "you have four new messages. First message."

"Hey Bakura-kun," I recognized Otogi's voice. He never says who he is on the phone, much to the annoyance of his friends and family. "Just wanted to make sure I had the flight schedule right for next week. We're all meeting at the airport at 6:00 am, and the flight for New York leaves at 7:00, right? Oh, and I think I've finally found myself a new apartment. This one has two bedrooms, but it also has another room I could use as an office, and the kitchen is great. I'll tell you more when you call back." The message was rather concise for Otogi, and I found myself relieved as I deleted the message and moved on.

"Next message…"

"Bakura-kun? It's Yugi. Unfortunately we didn't get the tickets to the concert. Jonouchi-kun and Honda-kun are really disappointed. But we'll still be having the Christmas party over here next week, so make sure to come. It's been a while since we've all gotten together! I'll see you soon."

"Next message…"

"I think my left foot just fell asleep, Bakura-kun." It was Otogi again; I sighed and deleted the message, skipping to the next one.

"Okay Bakura, if you've forgotten your phone again I'm going to have to surgically attach it to you. Or are you just ignoring my phone calls? I'm sorry about making you buy me lunch the other day, but I forgot that I had left my wallet at work. Anyways, call me back, or I'll have to come over to your apartment… again. And you know the locks won't stop me."

I fell back onto the couch, my living room being directly adjacent to the small kitchenette that divided it from my bedroom. Looking at the clock on my phone, I saw that it was now almost 2:00 am. Kaiba was most likely asleep by this point, although I didn't really know if he ever slept at all. Either way, it was too late to call him, and quite frankly I was too tired to do anything other than close my eyes and let sleep overwhelm me.

The noises from upstairs had grown louder, so I grabbed an oversized pillow and stuffed it over my face. I realized I should get up and actually go to sleep in my bedroom, but by that point I didn't feel like moving at all. Besides my comforter and pillows were already out here, having spent the past two nights sleeping on the couch while working on this essay.

I rolled over onto my side, burying my face into the couch, and began to drift off into semi-consciousness. I vaguely noticed a strange smell coming from somewhere in the room, but I quickly forgot that and fell into a much-needed deep sleep.

.--SC--.

Kaiba was already halfway back to his own apartment when he noticed Bakura's books on the passenger side floor of his car. The bag slid forward with a thump as he pulled the car to a stop and prepared to turn around. He grabbed his cell phone from the charger and searched his contact list for Bakura's number. After searching through the vast array of numbers, mostly various business partners and corporations, he wondered if he'd deleted it after the project he and Bakura were working on together was over. Finally he found the entry "Bakura Ryou".

He turned into a small alley and turned himself around as he waited for Bakura to pick up the phone. Unfortunately he got the answering machine instead, and he hung up before the recording finished.

Frowning he sped up towards the apartment, more preoccupied with the traffic than the inconvenience of making the same trip twice. Bakura interested him, or at least he interested Kaiba more than Yugi and his group of cheerleaders. Granted, Bakura had at one time seemed to him a part of that group. But since they began attending the same university, and class, he had started to see Bakura as a separate entity from the general classification of "Yugi's groupies". Actually, he realized that Bakura was far more intelligent than most of Yugi's friends, in his own way. Even a little-

Kaiba's thoughts were interrupted when a smaller car cut him off at the intersection and he glared at the other driver's bumper, not that the other driver cared, or noticed. Kaiba did not drive often; he found the whole experience entirely too aggravating. But at times he grew sick of the blind obedience of his lackeys and decided to give himself some time alone.

As Kaiba pulled around the corner near Bakura's apartment he was surprised to hear sirens blaring down the street. He looked back to see a fire truck and an ambulance racing down the road towards him.

He pulled off to the side and let them pass, curious for a moment before he realized that the building they turned into was Bakura's apartment complex, now a wall of smoke and growing yellow-orange flames.

Kaiba jumped out of his car and dashed across the street to the front of the burning building, which was quickly dissolving into the hazy fire. Civilians were standing about anxiously, getting in the way of the firemen who shoved whole crowds aside to maneuver their gear towards the edifice.

"Move it people," the chief yelled at a group of bystanders, and the teens clumsily backed off from the larger man. Kaiba grabbed one of the teens by the arm and caught the smell of beer as the teen protested his rough handling.

"Did everyone get out of the apartments?" Kaiba asked coldly. His icy voice seemed to startle the kid, and he shrank under Kaiba's fierce glare.

"Uhhh, I … uh … dunno?" Kaiba nearly threw him backwards as he let go, and the kid fell back into his group of friends, each as drunk as their fellow, or more so.

Kaiba felt his frustration mounting as he turned to an elderly woman. "Did you see a student with white hair, about this tall," he snapped, holding out his hand to mark Bakura's relative height. The woman looked offended for a moment and Kaiba softened his glare a touch. "He's my classmate," he offered by way of apology.

The woman's eyes widened as she realized whom Kaiba meant, then shook her head, "no, I haven't seen Bakura-san yet. Was he even at home today?"

"What room did he live in?" Kaiba hoped that since the woman knew Bakura's name she'd know where he lived.

"One zero two, I think…" Kaiba was running towards the building before she could finish her sentence. The firemen yelled at him to stop, but he ignored their shouts and ducked in through the open doorway, the door having fallen off its hinges at some point.

The staircase was quickly filling with smoke, and Kaiba held his jacket sleeve up to his mouth so he could breathe as he ascended the steps. At the top he pushed open the door, wincing as the hot metal stung his palm.

The hallway was just beginning to catch fire, and he could see an orange glow at the far end. Kaiba looked around quickly at the room numbers, searching for Bakura's.

He blinked to clear the smoke from his eyes and saw the numbers 102 on a plaque by a thin brown door near him. He grabbed the knob, but the metal was too hot this time, and he hastily drew his hand back, stumbling away a few steps.

He muttered a curse as he felt his hand throbbing slightly, and looked around anxiously for something to break down the door with. Not seeing anything he stepped back and kicked the door in instead, wincing as the door slammed backwards into the wall and a few splinters flew off.

Then he saw Bakura. He was on the floor coughing, struggling to push himself up onto his feet. Kaiba ran towards his figure in the smoke and bent down to help him stand. He looped one arm under his shoulders and hoisted Bakura onto his feet, nearly dragging him out into the hallway.

Kaiba realized that the fire had spread to the second floor, and looked up to see flames eating away at the ceiling beams.

Bakura began to cough again, and Kaiba staggered under his weight as the smaller man began to lose consciousness. Suddenly a loud crack sounded above the two, and Kaiba pulled himself and Bakura to the side just in time to avoid a falling beam that had come crashing down through the ceiling.

Bakura let out a yelp as the burning wood smashed against his right shoulder, and gasped, whimpering, as the pain spread down his arm to his elbow.

Kaiba pulled Bakura back up to his feet and began to run towards the stairs, slowed by the disorienting, hazy light of the hallway.

Once they reached the staircase Kaiba kicked the door open again and nearly dragged Bakura down the passageway, constantly looking down at the stumbling figure to make sure he was still somewhat conscious.

After what seemed like an eternity they staggered out of the building into the cold winter air, and Bakura slumped in Kaiba's arms, overcome by the smoke. Kaiba felt his sweat turn ice cold in the air, and held out his other arm to catch Bakura as he fell forward towards the snow.

The paramedics were by his side instantly, lifting the unconscious Bakura out of his arms and carrying him carefully over to a stretcher. Before Kaiba could blink Bakura was loaded into the ambulance, and the driver sped off, sirens blaring.

Kaiba watched the van for a few moments before numbly walking away from the collapsing building back towards the street. He frowned, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose wondering what the hell had just happened. Suddenly, a familiar light green convertible pulled screeching into the parking lot and Otogi Ryuuji leapt out of the car frantically.

He saw Kaiba watching him stoically and raced up to the billionaire, grabbing him by the collar. Kaiba didn't even bother to disengage the shorter game inventor's grip as he started to scream in Kaiba's face.

"What the hell happened to Bakura-kun? Is he still inside there?" Otogi's voice was high pitched with worry and he looked like he was about to start foaming at the mouth. Then he noticed the entirely uncharacteristic look of hesitation on Kaiba's face. "What the hell is going on?"

Kaiba pulled back out of the frantic man's grip and stared down at him calmly, letting his normal mask of indifference fall down over his features. "Bakura's apartment is on fire."

"Well I can see that!" Otogi screeched.

Kaiba glared a bit and continued. "I got him out, he fainted, the paramedics took him away in an ambulance." Kaiba, still slightly in shock, answered the other man bluntly.

"What!" Otogi shouted and Kaiba winced as Otogi's voice started to give him a headache.

"Like I said. Bakura's in the hospital."

Otogi clenched his fingers into a fist and slammed it against his side. "Damn it! I knew I should have come sooner when he wasn't answering his cell. God…" He couldn't finish the curse as he choked on his words and looked down angrily at the snowy sidewalk.

A paramedic approached the pair and looked uncertainly at Kaiba, who probably had a ferocious glare on his face as well, despite his attempt to mask his frustration. "Uh, sir? How do you know the white haired boy? We need some information on his identity so we can begin to operate."

The word operate twisted both of the young men's stomachs, but Kaiba replied calmly. "Bakura Ryou, he and I are students at Osaka University. We also attended the same high school."

"Okay, thank you." The paramedic began to write the name down on a piece of paper.

"Shit, I need to call Yugi." Otogi grabbed his cell out of his pocket and began to dial the number. Kaiba looked back at the paramedic as he finished writing out Bakura's name.

"We'll need you to come to the hospital with us, in case we need anymore information. Do you need a ride-"

"I can drive myself." Kaiba muttered and walked off to his car.

"Hey wait! Just where do you think you're going?" Otogi yelled after him, obviously still on the phone with a most likely very confused Yugi.

"To the hospital, you idiot." And with that Kaiba slammed his car door and sped off in the same direction the ambulance had left in.

"Otogi-kun, what's wrong?" Yugi asked over the phone. His voice was still slurred with sleep.

"Bakura-kun's in the hospital, his apartment caught fire. We need to get over there, now!" Otogi was shouting over the roar of the firemen's hoses and the increasing noise of the gathering crowd.

"Nani?" (4) Yugi yelped, "O-okay, we'll all be over there shortly." Yugi hung up and Otogi hopped back into his car, driving off towards the hospital.

.--Otogi--.

I charged up to the woman at the counter as soon as I got through the hospital doors, demanding Bakura's room number in a voice that I'm sure was shrill enough to be a girl's. I couldn't help it; I was almost out of my mind with worry.

Kaiba's condescending explanation had hardly helped. That guy didn't seem to care about the situation at all. Frankly, I was surprised when he announced that he was heading off to the hospital himself. Most likely he was just avoiding a lawsuit.

"Bakura-san is currently in the burn wing, he's being treated for second degree burns on his shoulder and upper arm. He should be out of surgery soon, so please have a seat over there and we'll tell you when you can visit him." The nurse was polite, despite the fact that I'd probably broken her eardrums, and she slowly gestured to a section of chairs where I saw a familiar CEO talking to some doctors in long white coats.

As I approached I heard Kaiba explaining the situation to them. "…down the staircase and outside, then he fell over and the paramedics took him away." The doctors nodded, one of them was scribbling notes on a clipboard, and Kaiba had his arms crossed tensely, looking ready to punch at least one of them if they didn't leave him soon.

"Arigatou (5), Kaiba-sama. We'll let you know as soon as there are any changes." The doctors walked away as I approached, and I glared at the CEO for lack of other people to glare at.

"Well, how is he?" Kaiba just shrugged and looked at a spot on the wall past me. This made me even more frustrated, but before I could threaten to shove his head into the nearest concrete floor, Yugi, Jou, Honda, and Shizuka came running up to me.

"What's going on Otogi-kun?" Yugi asked, breathless. "Is Bakura-kun alright?"

I looked down at Yugi and the others, relieved to have them there. "He's in surgery right now, he has second degree burns on his arm and shoulder, that's all I know right now." I turned towards Kaiba to see if he had anything to add but he continued to stare off in the distance, silently.

"The nurse told us to wait here until there's further news." The group let out a collective sigh and slowly settled into the chairs, pulling them into a semi-circle. I sat down myself and leaned back, looking up exhausted at the ceiling.

I was too tired to even think. This rarely happened. In fact, it was unusual for me to not be off on one of my random tangents. However, right now, all I could think about was the smoking orange blaze that was Bakura's apartment and how his hair matched the hospital ceiling tiles.

That was random enough, I guess.

"Don't worry, guys, Bakura-kun's been through much worse than this, right?" Yugi tried to smile as he said this, but the expression looked more like a cringe, and the group just remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Honda laughed pitifully.

"Why is Kaiba here?" Jonouchi looked over at Kaiba, frowning slightly.

I watched Kaiba, waiting for him to explain, but the guy just sat there silently ignoring Jonouchi's comment. Jonouchi looked like he was about to jump on top of Kaiba and strangle him when Kaiba finally replied.

"I got Bakura out of the apartment. The doctors asked me to stay and give them some more details on his condition. Not that I needed to explain myself to a pathetic dog like you." Kaiba glared at the blonde, and Jonouchi in turn started to stand up, hands clenched in fists. Honda jumped up and grabbed Jonouchi by the shoulder, pulling him back into the seat.

"Not in a hospital, Jonouchi." Jonouchi growled at Honda then looked back over at Kaiba. Surprisingly, he wasn't smirking.

"You don't need to stick around." He muttered, but Kaiba had gone back to ignoring him in favor of a window, and Jonouchi mumbled something vulgar under his breath.

"Thank you, Kaiba, for getting Bakura-kun out alive." Yugi offered, and then sighed, as Kaiba shrugged off the comment.

A nurse walked up a few minutes later and placed her hand softly on Yugi's shoulder. "Are you Bakura Ryou's friends?" She asked quietly. We all nodded, even Kaiba moved his head slightly as she glanced his way. "Bakura-san's out of surgery now, his wounds are fine and should heal properly within two weeks. Unfortunately he's still unconscious, which isn't good. We'll be monitoring his condition until he wakes up. You can stay if you want, we'll let you know when he regains consciousness." The nurse walked away, looking back at us as we all stared blankly around the room.

The group was silent except for Yugi who just looked down at his hands. "Bakura…" Yami no Yugi appeared next to Yugi, something he rarely did in public, and took Yugi's hand in his own.

The two had been a couple for almost three years now, since we all graduated and went to college. The group was not surprised at all when they hooked up; we all knew how close the two were. But moments like this were rare. The spirit could still form his own physical body, even though he no longer possessed the sennen puzzle. But from what I understood he couldn't maintain it very long, and he normally separated from Yugi when there weren't so many strangers around to see.

The group had changed a lot since high school, and the crazy events surrounding the Battle City Tournament including their trip to ancient Egypt. Anzu had moved to New York as soon as she graduated, having met someone with connections to a dance company there and passing the auditions. Then Honda and Jonouchi went off to local colleges for two years, preferring to stay in Domino. Yugi, Bakura, and I were all accepted to Osaka University, as was Kaiba, which was no surprise. For a while we dormed together, but then Yugi got an apartment with Jonouchi and Honda, who moved to Osaka out of boredom, and Bakura and I found our own apartments.

Since then we'd all managed to maintain the friendship, even with Anzu, who kept in touch with us regularly through e-mail. However, we didn't see each other as often, busy with our work and school. That and Jonouchi and Honda both got girlfriends, who took up even more of their time. Jonouchi, of course, finally confessed his feelings to Mai, and the two were enjoying a steady, though crazy relationship. Honda on the other hand had found it much more difficult to tell Shizuka how he felt. The two might as well have been dating, but Honda claimed they weren't official yet.

That was an up, down, and sideways roller coaster of a relationship, as far as everyone could tell – at least for Honda. He never could decide if he was happily in love or still shyly pursuing unrequited feelings.

I just laughed, thinking about the small crush I had on the girl back in high school. I still liked to tease Honda and threaten to steal her away if he didn't get his guts up to ask her out, but I lost interest in her years ago.

I looked over once more at Kaiba, wondering why he was still sticking around if the nurse said he could go. His face was cold and stony, yet I couldn't help but notice the slight frown about his eyes that looked more worried than annoyed.

Perhaps Kaiba was just as concerned about Bakura as the rest of us. I decided not to push the subject; after all, he'd hardly admit that he considered us his friends.

We were all just as quiet when the nurse returned. Honda had his arm wrapped comfortingly over Shizuka's shoulders, Yami no Yugi had returned to his soul room, and Yugi's gaze was distant indicating that he was also there. Jonouchi had gone off to find some "real food" as he put it, and I was busy staring into space.

"Bakura-san has woken up now, you may go and see him, but only for a few minutes. He's still in critical condition so we can't over tax him. Do you understand?" Yugi nodded quickly and we all stood up, following the nurse eagerly through the maze of hallways to the correct wing.

It seemed to take forever to get to the room. Normally my sense of direction isn't so bad, but I swear the hospital was built solely to confuse anyone who tried to navigate it. Perhaps that was their way of making sure idiots like Jonouchi didn't manage to find anything that they could – and would – destroy. Like someone's liver. I could just see him mistaking it for some sort of food, or at least a toy of sorts.

We probably shouldn't have let him leave by himself. Who knows what kind of body parts he'd be bringing back for Bakura.

As we entered the room Bakura sat up in the bed and smiled at us weakly. His hand was hooked up to an IV, and all the way down from his shoulder to his elbow was wrapped in white gauze that almost matched his hair. Other various wires were attached under his clothes, and the cords hung from a large machine that made eerie beeping noises every so often. I hated those.

Unable to hold in our concern after seeing Bakura is this shape, we all began to talk at once. "Bakura-kun are you alright?" "Hey Bakura, you don't look so good." "What are those wires for?" "Bakura, you look really pale, are you sure you should be sitting up?" Bakura laughed softly as we crowded around his bed, bombarding him with our concerns.

"I'm fine, you guys." He spoke quietly, and everyone seemed to calm down a bit.

Just then Jonouchi burst into the room with a big grin plastered across his face. Oh dear, here come the kidneys…"Bakura, you're awake! Look, I brought you food!" He dumped a pile of snacks onto Bakura's lap and looked sternly at Bakura.

Thank God, they were real snacks. I think I saw some Oreos in there.

"You should be taking it easy, Bakura. Now just lean back and let me hide these. Hospital food sucks, and you look sick enough as it is. We don't need them to starve you too." Yugi laughed as Jonouchi began to find creative places in the pillows and bedside table to hide the various packages of food he had collected.

"Jonouchi, I think I'll be fine… Eep!" Jonouchi glared at Bakura.

"Now don't go saying you're fine. We all know you'll never admit to being not okay." We all collectively shook our heads at his grammar as Jonouchi continued to lecture Bakura on telling him if he felt unwell at all.

Bakura just sat there, smiling slightly, letting Jonouchi continue his rant.

Just then I saw Bakura look over at Kaiba, who was standing off to the side a ways. He looked confused for a moment and I opened my mouth to explain but was cut off by the nurse coming back into the room. Kaiba saw Bakura's glance and looked the other direction, focusing distantly at the wall. I wondered about this as the nurse began to speak.

"Okay everyone," the nurse said and began to usher us all out. Jonouchi quickly hid the rest of the snacks as the nurse grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. "That's enough now, let Bakura-san rest."

As I left the room, I gently patted Bakura on the head. "Don't worry about anything, Bakura, we'll take care of it all. You just stay here and rest a bit, okay." I grinned and gave Bakura a thumb's up.

Bakura smiled, "thanks." Then I stepped out and the nurse closed the door quietly behind her.

.--Yugi--.

_Mou hitori no boku?_ (6) I called out to the far reaches of my mind waiting for the familiar presence to surface.

_Yes, aibou?_ The spirit replied; I could tell he was as concerned as I was. _What's wrong?_

_I'm still worried about Bakura-kun. He says he's okay, but he always says that. What do you think?_

The spirit paused, then reached out, taking my hand with his own, invisible one. I could feel the gentle pressure of his touch and I let this small action reassure me.

_Bakura will be fine, aibou, however what we need to concern ourselves with now is where he is going to stay while he recovers. _

_You're right, I completely forgot about that._

"Hey guys," I looked at the group, which was slowly walking back down the hall from which we came. They all stopped and looked back at me. "Where is Bakura going to stay now? He can't go back to Domino, he still needs to go to school after break."

The realization hit them all suddenly, and I could see it in their faces. In a way it was a relief for us to have something more concrete to worry about. This, at least, was a problem we could solve.

"Why doesn't he stay with us?" Jonouchi offered. I winced at the idea of Bakura living in our already crowded apartment, not to mention with Jonouchi and Honda. They were certainly not what I had in mind when I thought of restful recovery.

_Plus that would make it even harder for you and I to be alone_, my other self added convincingly.

I laughed uncomfortably, "I don't think that would be good for Bakura." Jonouchi looked at me puzzled, and I sighed. "He's supposed to get rest."

"My apartment is too small," Otogi added apologetically. "But I finally found a bigger one, and I'll be moving in after I finalize the arrangements. That'll take about a week. Bakura can stay with me after that."

Everyone seemed to agree with this, and I was relieved to see that Jonouchi wasn't going to argue.

"What about until then?" I asked, bringing them back to the issue.

"We can't just leave him here! These doctors are going to kill him if they make him eat the food they serve here. Have you guys seen it yet? It's gross! It's all slimy, and it moves!" We all watched as Jonouchi pretended to gag. Otogi got a strange look on his face halfway between worry and disgust. He looked like Jonouchi had mistakenly eaten someone's kidney.

"He could stay with me."

The silence was immense. It filled the whole hallway as we all turned to stare at Kaiba. I'd forgotten that he was even here, and judging by the looks on everyone's faces, they were in a similar situation. That or the idea of Kaiba offering to help someone was just too much to handle.

_Well remember the last time we asked Kaiba to help Bakura. He flat out refused to land the airship, even though Bakura was wounded and unconscious._

_That's not fair, _I replied. _Kaiba had his own doctors onboard; they were just as well trained as any hospital doctors._

_It's the fact that he could have cared less about Bakura that worried me. Why is he offering now, what has changed?_

I shook my head at the spirit then faced Kaiba. "Are you sure?"

"I have a spare bedroom, and it wouldn't be any trouble for him to stay seeing as it's just for a week." I looked Kaiba in the eyes and was surprised to see that he was genuine.

"I suppose that would work." Looking around I could see that Honda and Otogi agreed, though they both looked hesitant as they nodded. Jonouchi, on the other hand, looked furious.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Kaiba! Bakura's our friend, and there's no way we're going to leave him with the likes of you. I don't even know why you bothered to stick around at all, no one asked you to be here."

"Jonouchi-kun!" I exclaimed. I could tell Jonouchi was anxious about Bakura. He rarely spoke this harshly to Kaiba unless Kaiba insulted him first. "Kaiba-kun is offering to help Bakura-kun, we should be grateful."

"I'll never be grateful to that selfish bastard. If he was so damn helpful, how did Bakura get injured in the first place? Kaiba should have taken better care of him."

"Jonouchi that's just absurd." Honda whacked him on the back of the head.

"What was that for!?" Jonouchi yelped.

Honda rubbed his ears to get rid of the echo of Jonouchi's voice in his head. "Stop being such an idiot. Yugi's right, Kaiba is just trying to be helpful. Plus he saved Bakura's life. If he hadn't been there Bakura wouldn't have just injured his arm." Honda and Jonouchi both glared at one another, but much to everyone's relief Jonouchi's glare soon lost its ferocity and he stepped back to face Kaiba.

"Honda-kun is right, Jonouchi," Shizuka looked up at her brother with big puppy dog eyes. I could see Jonouchi's resolve crumble under her gaze.

"Fine then, he can stay with you. But you'd better take care of him this time, Kaiba!"

Kaiba glared at Jonouchi in response, but fortunately left it at that and held back any further insults.

"I can bring Bakura over after he's rested a while," Otogi offered.

"I'll be home tomorrow evening. He can come over then, if that works." Kaiba pulled out a business card and wrote an address on the back. He handed it curtly to Otogi then began to walk off. "See you losers later," he called back.

I sighed, _typical Kaiba Seto._

_Yes, but this whole situation is anything but typical. Why did Kaiba offer to let Bakura stay with him?_

_Don't tell me you agree with Jonouchi? I would think you would have more faith in Kaiba._

_I do, and I agree that this is the best option for Bakura, but I can't help but feeling like there's something missing from this explanation. Kaiba isn't helpful unless it benefits him in some way. Even when he came to Egypt to help us defeat the spirit in the sennen ring, I think he came for peace of mind. He never liked the idea that fate had him under its control._

_Yes well, maybe he's changed._

_If he has, then that would only confirm my suspicions._

_What do you mean?_

_I think you know the answer to that, Aibou._

"So, I guess everything's all settled then." Otogi let out the breath he must have been holding since Kaiba first spoke, and the whole group seemed to relax more now that the billionaire had left.

"Well, Bakura's going to need a change of clothes, and some other things too." Honda added.

"I can take care of that, I'll ask my assistant to grab whatever he left back at home with his dad. She's out that way on a business trip, she can bring the clothes with her on her way back."

"Thanks Otogi," I replied. "The rest of us can go back to the apartment and see what they saved." Everyone agreed to meet the next day and we all set off for the front doors, except for Otogi, who said he would fill Bakura in on the situation.

I stepped outside unable to shake the ominous feeling my other's words had left in my mind.

.--Bakura--.

"You only have a few minutes, Bakura-san needs to rest now." I turned to look at Otogi as he stepped by the nurse who watched him with her arms crossed, stubbornly. Otogi rolled his eyes then grinned and walked over to the bed.

"You okay?" He looked down, concerned.

"I'm fine." I could tell he didn't believe me, but then again he rarely did whenever he asked. "I'm still pretty tired, and I can't really feel my arm."

"Ah, yeah, that might be a good thing. Thank God for pain killers." He answered.

Silence fell between us and I began to think back to what I remembered. At first all I could think of was the horrible feeling of gasping and swallowing smoke. It was like a scratchy fuzzy blanket being shoved down my throat. Then I began to remember what happened afterwards. I didn't realize that the building was on fire until I woke up to a bunch of sirens outside. When I tried to sit upright I ended up choking on the smoke that had filled my room, and then I blacked out for a moment or so.

The next thing I could remember was kneeling on the floor, coughing. I could barely open my eyes, and no matter how hard I tried to pull myself towards the door I couldn't move. The room began to spin as my brain rebelled against the lack of oxygen, then I saw someone standing in front of me.

It was Kaiba. He had pulled me up and helped me out of the room, even though there were pieces of apartment falling all around us. Then there was a blinding white pain, and I remember feeling as though I was once again being consumed by the Winged Dragon of Ra.

The roar of the flames was deafening, and I don't remember how we got out, except that Kaiba had to hold me up most of the way. Then, suddenly, everything was cold and black. That must have been when I lost consciousness.

"Why was Kaiba-kun here, Otogi-kun?" I looked at him as he searched for the words.

"Kaiba-kun was the one who rescued you, actually." Otogi ran a hand through his long bangs and looked out the window. "The doctors needed your name and some more information on what happened, so they brought him here. After that he just stuck around, I guess. He offered to let you stay in his apartment until I move into my new one. After that you can come and live with me until you finish the school year. Actually, you could just stay however long you want, it doesn't matter to me." Otogi looked back at me and I could see how worried he was.

Otogi seemed to worry about me more than anyone else in the group. I think it was because we both felt a similar awkwardness among the others. While everyone accepted us as part of the group, and never treated us like outsiders, I think we both still felt guilty for our respective actions against Yugi.

That and we'd dormed together the first two years in college. We both knew too much about each other's idiosyncrasies to not worry. Of course, I worried more about Otogi's sanity, whereas Otogi was always entreating me to stand up for myself and speak my mind.

But why was he worried now? Besides the obvious fact that I was in a hospital. The idea of me staying with Kaiba seemed to bother him.

"Why did Kaiba-kun do that?" There were a lot of questions storming about in my mind, but that one was the first to make its way out.

"Why did he offer to let you stay?" Otogi asked to clarify my meaning.

"Well, that too… But why did he come back to the apartment after he dropped me off? And why did he run in to get me out? And why was he here when you guys came in? He didn't say a word, he just stood there." I thought about the expression I saw on Kaiba's face, just for a moment, before he turned away. He almost looked embarrassed.

Otogi just shrugged, and I returned my gaze to the window. My mind was racing with questions, but none of them made any sense, and any attempt to organize my thoughts ended in failure.

I sighed and leaned back onto the pillows. "None of this makes any sense, I can't think about it right now."

"Yugi and the others are going to take care of going through what's left of your apartment, I'm having your old clothes brought over until we can get you some new ones, and I still have your father's number. I'll let him know what's going on. So don't worry about anything, okay Bakura. We'll do all the thinking for you. Except for Jonouchi, we won't let him do any thinking."

I smiled, and he returned with his usual grin. Then the nurse walked in and told Otogi he had to leave now.

"I'll be back tomorrow to take you over to Kaiba's. So go to sleep!" Otogi waved as he walked out and I closed my eyes, letting my mind slow down and manage each thought individually.

Otogi said not to worry, but I couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen now. Yet the more I tried to think about what was going on, the more tired and sluggish my thoughts became. Eventually I gave up and told myself I'd think about it later, then fell into blissful unconsciousness.

.------.

Notes…

(1) Gomenasai (Gomen for short) means sorry

(2) The millenium ring

(3) Yes

(4) What?

(5) Thank you

(6) Literally, my other self, this is how Yugi refers to Yami no Yugi. Yami no Yugi, however, calls Yugi "aibou", meaning partner.

Ah! My brain! Too much research has gone into this fic, due to my obsessive perfectionism… This fic is actually quite short compared to what it used to be. Originally I had fourteen chapters planned, now that has been reduced to eight. But most of that was random subplots or outings that did nothing to develop any of the characters or their relationships.

I'll try to post chapter two within a week or so, depending on what kind of response I get. I plan on updating this story at least once a week, maybe twice if I get ahead. I'd love to hear your comments and ideas about this chapter, so please review.

--SC


	2. Juxtaposition

_Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Gi Oh … if I did I would never have let 4Kids do such horrible things to the dub. Poor Bakura and his British accent._

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

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For those of you who read _Shojo Beat_ or the manga series _Nana _you'll recognize BLAST as the Black Stones from that series. It's just a small crossover; I don't plan on involving any of the _Nana_ characters in this story. I just preferred to use that band instead of a real one because they struck me as a band that Bakura would be interested in.

Poor Bakura, it seems like every time I see an AMV tribute to him when I'm looking for episodes it's to some song by Evanescence. My Immortal, in particular. I agree that Bakura's character is quite depressing at times, but I feel like he also has a happier side too. Maybe it's just me and my distaste for excessive angst.

Anyways I'm rambling. Thanks again to Jessy-chan!

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Awww...I only got one review. Good thing I have friends forcing me to finish this fic or I would lose my motivation. So, thanks to FlyingShadow666 for being my #1 reviewer, in more ways than one! I hope you enjoy chapter two as well.

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**Juxtaposition**

n. The act of juxtaposing or condition of being juxtaposed: placed together for comparison or contrast.

.--Bakura--.

"Woah, Kaiba-kun, your apartment is huge!" Otogi exclaimed as we entered. I looked down at the floor, trying to hide my embarrassment at Otogi's outburst. The apartment _was_ rather large, though. Of course, we should have expected that, knowing Kaiba.

From behind Otogi I could see a large, open room with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city. The view was spectacular, as Kaiba's apartment was on the top floor, seventeen stories above the street. The kitchen was to the right with a counter dividing the tile and the polished wood floor, and the living room spread out from it in a large semi-circle that formed the window-wall. "How the heck did you find a place like this?"

Kaiba, who was politely holding the door open, ignored Otogi's comments, but I could see him twitch when Otogi ran over to the other side of the room to lean against the windows, leaving two large handprints.

"Otogi-kun…" I mumbled. Otogi ignored me and continued to stare, amazed, at the cityscape beyond.

"Are you coming in?" I looked up and realized that Kaiba was still holding the door open for me. His eyes were focused down at me expectantly, and I gazed back down at the floor, embarrassed even more.

"Gomenasai," I squeaked and stepped inside so Kaiba could shut the door.

"Your room is this way, Bakura. You can leave your belongings in there." Kaiba looked over at Otogi, crossing his arms and waiting for the excited inventor to get the hint. Otogi looked over, confused.

"Oh, let me get your stuff Bakura." He darted back and picked up the small box that constituted my "stuff". Basically it was just a bunch of things Yugi and the others had thought I might need, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, etc… They hadn't been able to salvage anything from my apartment except a small photo album I kept in the corner of my room. The firemen had managed to put the fire out shortly after I was taken to the hospital, but by then most of the building had collapsed.

Jonouchi had found the album under the remains of a large dresser. I had held the book protectively as he retold his heroic tale for what had to be the fourteenth time as we headed out of the hospital towards Otogi's car. Judging from the others' expressions it had grown grander and farther from the truth with each telling.

"And then I got this feeling. I couldn't describe it; I just knew something was under that pile of wood. So I made my way through the extremely dangerous, smoking heaps of burning stuff towards the stack. Then, after three hours of blood, sweat, and tears, I finally managed to move all the junk aside, saving a little kid in the process, and found this!" He pointed at the album.

"Of course, I knew it was Bakura's because of the messy handwriting inside. I couldn't read a word of it. But I could feel Bakura's soul in the pages, so I carefully wrapped the album in my jacket and brought it to safety!"

"Jonouchi!" Mai groaned. "You tripped over a dresser, you big idiot, and Yugi found the album while trying to help you get your foot out of a drawer!"

I smiled as Jonouchi accused Mai of lying, and as Mai yelled at him for being a hypocrite. The couple was amusing, although I had no clue how they managed to stay together, what with their constant bickering.

"Bakura, you believe me, don't you?" Jonouchi looked at me eagerly and I suddenly found myself in an awkward position.

"Umm – that is, of course I trust you Jonouchi-kun, but it doesn't really matter _who_ found it. I'm just relieved to have it back." Jonouchi looked disappointed and I sighed. Jonouchi was always so eager to be appreciated.

"Arigatou, Jonouchi-kun. Without your help I would have been devastated by its loss." Okay, I only exaggerated a little…just a little. I couldn't help but smile as Jonouchi announced my words to the rest, quite proud of his accomplishment.

The album truly was important to me, though. In it were various letters I'd received from my family over the years, and a few I'd written myself, but never sent. There was also a collection of photos from my childhood that were, to me, irreplaceable. Especially the ones of my sister.

These were my thoughts as Kaiba led Otogi and I around the kitchen, to the right, and through a door into the bedroom.

"This is the spare room. The bathroom is through that door," he looked to his left beyond the bed and stepped inside further so we could come in. "There's only one, it's connected to both this and my room. Just be sure to lock both doors if you'll be using it." I nodded, absently, and looked around at the room.

It struck me as almost feminine, as compared to what I'd already seen of the apartment, which was mostly modern and well furnished. The walls were a mint green, and the off white carpet felt soft under my feet. Sheer white curtains hung over the windows, including a bay window at the far end of the room, and brushed against the white crown molding. The room was very European in appearance, with a four-post bed, a small bedside table, and a painted wood dresser serving to break the monotony of the walls.

If I ignored the view of Osaka through the window I could almost picture myself in a small, English cottage. Yet the room seemed empty, with little but the furniture and a radio clock serving as decorations. There was none of the comfortable clutter that comes with occupation, no photos tucked into the mirror, no papers lying about, no misplaced pen on the top of the dresser. It appeared as though the previous owner had packed up everything that made the room a room and left behind an impersonal mint green hole.

I could see that Kaiba certainly hadn't changed anything during his stay. The room, though clean, looked untouched.

"Feel free to settle in, I'll be at my desk." Kaiba left Otogi and I, heading out the door back into the kitchen-living room.

"Well, it's a nice place. What do you think Bakura-kun?" I looked over at Otogi, who was setting the "box of stuff" on the bed.

"It's nice." I replied, distracted.

"That's what I just said Bakura. What do _you_ think?"

I looked back at Otogi and smiled. "It's great, I'll be fine here. Besides, it's just for a week." Otogi rolled his eyes then flopped down on the bed.

"Well at least the bed is comfortable." He put his arms behind his head and I walked over to the window, wondering if Otogi planned on spending the week here too. He certainly was making himself comfortable.

"I put a few changes of clothes in with your other things." I looked over at Otogi, unable to conceal the apprehensive look on my face. Otogi's definition of clothing sometimes scared me.

The flamboyant game inventor certainly had his own style, which I didn't mind. But when it came to Otogi choosing outfits for me, which he had attempted to do many times during the two years we spent dorming together, I was steadfastly opposed to his opinions.

"Don't worry, Bakura, it's just some t-shirts and jeans." Otogi sat up and slid off the bed, much to my relief. "Anyways, I better head off. My assistant will stop by sometime tomorrow with your clothes. I have to go give her a call and make sure she found your house okay and give her directions to here. Then I have to get back to work. I'll try to call you sometime this evening to check up, okay?"

I nodded then tried to smile when I could see Otogi wasn't quite convinced. "Why do you have to work so late in the evening?" I asked to distract him. Looking at the clock I could see that it was already past seven.

We both started off towards the front door, Otogi walking slightly ahead, and clearly forgetting his previous concern as his frustration with his employees mounted.

"There are some issues with my new product's release in the States. It's probably nothing, but you know how worked up people can get when we have problems on an international level."

I nodded and Otogi sighed. "Then again, you probably have no idea." I was only slightly offended. "Oh, don't pout Bakura, be glad you don't have to deal with these idiots. I'm sure Kaiba-kun understands what I mean."

Otogi looked over at Kaiba, who was busy typing on his laptop. Kaiba didn't pause for one moment, but he did frown as Otogi added "right, Kaiba-kun?"

"I didn't know you were producing your game in America, yet." Was his only response.

"And I thought you knew everything about the gaming industry." Otogi looked at Kaiba, proud of his little triumph over the billionaire.

"I only follow the major players." Kaiba did pause this time to give Otogi an arrogant smirk. Otogi glared. "I'm surprised your game has been as successful as it is."

"Kaiba…" Otogi was about to shout something but Kaiba leaned back and interrupted the rant before it could begin.

"Take that as a compliment, Otogi. There's no need to be like that bonkotsu duelist and overreact." (1)

"Kaiba-kun, only you could make a compliment sound like an insult." And with that Otogi turned away and walked towards the door. "See you later, Bakura-kun. Don't let this jerk get to you." He nearly slammed the door as he left. I winced as it banged shut with a loud thud.

"Gomen, Kaiba-kun. Otogi-kun can get mad easily sometimes, but it'll pass, he…" I trailed off as I realized that Kaiba wasn't listening. He had already returned to his computer, typing rapidly once more with a slight frown that I hoped was from concentration.

"I'll just be taking a shower then." I spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Kaiba once again, then slowly walked off to the spare room.

"You don't need to apologize for your friend's behavior. Otogi is perfectly capable of controlling himself, or he wouldn't have gotten this far with his game." Kaiba didn't turn away from his computer as he spoke, but I could feel the tension lift, just a little.

.------.

If I had been less than impressed by the bedroom, Kaiba's bathroom more than made up for it.

Slate blue stone tiles with a granite pattern covered the floor and walls, and as I walked over to the tempered glass sink, framed with stainless steel and oak, I felt a soothing heat rising from the floor and realized that Kaiba must have installed a heated floor system when he moved in. The actual sink was a very deep blue that almost appeared black. Polished glass reflected the warm orange lights in a distorted swirl and cast little beams of blue and gold down onto the floor.

However it was the walk in shower that caught my attention as I looked at its image in the mirror over the counter. It was huge! A clear glass pane separated it from the rest of the bathroom, and only a slender light blue-green line showed where the shower door met the encasement.

As for the shower itself, the tiles sloped downward very slightly towards the center where a small drain interrupted the sleek flooring. Two knobs controlled the water temperature, and a third adjusted the water pressure, and also turned on the overhead faucet allowing water to fall from a circular showerhead embedded in the ceiling.

The shower alone was bigger, I suspected, than the whole bathroom I'd had in my own apartment. I looked at the knobs apprehensively, but everything seemed fairly obvious. Turning the knob with a small cursive "h" engraved on the handle, I let the hot water pour over me from the ceiling, relaxing under the mini-waterfall.

I had to be careful to keep my right arm out of the spray so that the bandages would stay dry. The doctors had said I'd been lucky that I hadn't broken my arm along with burning it. As it was, I could change the bandages myself (I'd had practice while healing after battle city).

I took my time washing the shampoo from my hair, watching the bubbles slowly whirl and congregate around the drain. Fortunately along with the shampoo and soap, someone had included conditioner as well. I had a feeling it was Otogi, as he would be the only one who knew how tangled my hair could get without it.

Tangled is actually an understatement. My hair is a disaster if I don't use conditioner. Otogi loved to tease me about it when we were still living in the dorms. He said I made the bathroom smell girly every time I took a shower. Unfortunately this was true; I always had a difficult time finding conditioner that didn't smell like flowers or fruit and wasn't an over-priced "salon-quality" brand.

Whatever kind it was that Yugi and the others had bought wasn't too bad, though. At least it didn't smell like the girl's locker room, which was a step up from what I'd been used to.

Something about leaving Kaiba's bathroom smelling like peaches and cinnamon struck me as a potentially embarrassing situation. It had been hard enough to deal with Otogi commenting on my "silky locks" every morning. Of course it didn't occur to him that he spent a full half hour every morning arranging his own hair, no that was completely normal.

As the last of the soap washed away I walked hesitantly out of the shower, looking around for a towel. Luckily Kaiba had thought to set out an extra one before I arrived – or at least there was an extra one on the rack. As I pulled it off I realized that the rack was also heated, and the warm fluffy towel radiated comfortable warmth as I held it bunched up in my hands.

I was soon dry except for my hair, which continued to drip down my shoulders and onto the floor. I quickly changed back into my now wrinkled clothes and threw the towel over my shoulders to prevent the water from soaking into my shirt.

As I walked out into the living room I saw Kaiba look around at me then stand up and grab something from under his desk. "I take it you figured out how to use the shower." I nodded and he continued. "I forgot to give you these earlier, you left them in my car when I dropped you off." He handed me my laptop and notebooks, "and here's a spare key to the apartment. You'll probably need it while you're staying here." He waited for me to take them before he returned to his own desk.

The key was actually a card – the kind you swipe instead of an actual key. I put it in my pockets and turned my attention to my notes. I sighed with relief as I looked through the pages and realized that they were all still there. "I guess it was lucky that I forgot them. Otherwise I'd have lost all my notes."

"Yeah," was Kaiba's distracted reply. I could see that he was anxious to continue working so I set the pile on the kitchen counter and pulled up a stool, turning away from his gaze. Behind me I could hear the keys on Kaiba's computer clicking rapidly. _He's an awfully fast typist_, I thought distractedly.

My laptop came on with a quiet chime and I opened up the folder with my research inside, hoping to finally get some work done on my paper.

But as I started to read through the notes I'd written back at the library my cell phone proceeded to ring, and I answered it quickly, not wanting Kaiba to notice the absurd ringtone Otogi had programmed into my phone. Really, why on earth would I want Superstar as my ring?

"But I love that song!" Otogi had exclaimed when I voiced my distaste for the music. The lyrics were actually quite appropriate for the flamboyant businessman (2). I could just imagine him singing it, a karaoke microphone in one hand and the other hand gesturing excitedly. The image would have been hilarious if it had been real.

"Moshi moshi," (3) I answered my cell phone, walking towards the spare bedroom in the process.

"Hey, Bakura-kun. It's Yugi. How are you doing?"

Before I could answer I heard a loud yelp then a crackling noise as someone grabbed the phone from Yugi.

"Bakura!" Jonouchi yelled excitedly into the mouthpiece. I held the phone away from my ear as he continued to speak. "Listen, if that sleeze," (he obviously meant Kaiba) "makes you upset at all, you just let me know, okay? I'll come over and kick his ass into the next century for you, Bakura? You there?"

"Hai, Jonouchi-kun." I smiled as the phone was once again seized from its possessor, and fortunately it was Yugi's voice that came out this time.

"Jonouchi-kun, let go!" I blinked as I realized that it was actually the spirit of the sennen puzzle that was now speaking. "Anyways Bakura, we're serious. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything, alright? Now I have to go deal with this idiot hanging on my leg." I laughed as I heard Honda yelling at Jonouchi to release Yugi's leg, Jonouchi replying with a loud "let me talk to Bakura!" and Yami no Yugi threatening to send Jonouchi to the shadow realm if he kept molesting his aibou.

The noises ended with an abrupt dial tone and I closed my cell phone, slipping it back into my pocket.

When I returned to the kitchen Kaiba switched his attention from his computer to his own cell phone, from which came the vague noises of an obviously distressed employee. Kaiba, to his credit, managed to look only slightly ticked off before he alerted the man of his incompetence then barked out a series of orders, hanging up before the subordinate could apologize further.

I attempted to return to my work, but soon I found myself staring absently out the window, watching the sun's last rays of light fade into a murky purple-blue. My thoughts began to return to the emptiness of the lights beyond the glass far below, but before I could fall into these depressing musings I forced myself on to a new subject.

Noticing Kaiba's reflection in the window, I watched as he stared, focused, at the computer screen. The bright white light emanating from the machine only made the slight frown between his eyes more intense. Kaiba always seemed to be so busy with work; I wondered what he did besides that.

It seemed unhealthy to me to spend so much time on one subject. Surely at some point he had to take a break, if only to spend some time with Mokuba.

I wondered what Mokuba thought about this. I knew that the brothers were close back in Domino, but now that Kaiba was living in Osaka, and still as busy as ever with his company, it was likely they hardly saw each other anymore. Mokuba could not have been happy with this, but as far as I knew he had never come to Osaka to see his older brother.

Sometimes, while we were working together in class, I had asked Kaiba how Mokuba was doing. He would almost always say fine, but once he didn't answer at all and I had thought I'd seen regret in his eyes for a brief moment. Perhaps they weren't as close as they used to be.

I realized that I'd closed my eyes somewhere between thoughts, and as I wearily blinked them open I saw that Kaiba had walked over into the kitchen and was now looking at me from across the counter.

Startled, I jumped up, knocking some of my notes to the floor. "Ah, shoot." I bent over to pick up the papers.

"You should get some sleep, Bakura." Kaiba's voice was almost emotionless but I could hear a tinge of amusement in it as well. Blushing I stood back up and laid the papers neatly in a stack on the counter. "Otherwise Yugi and the others will be on my case. Especially that blonde idiot, Jonouchi."

I noticed that he rarely referred to Jonouchi without some insult attached or implied. It was odd that he should be concerned about my health, though, now that I was out of the hospital.

I was about to reply that I was okay when I was suddenly overcome by the urge to yawn. My words came out stretched and jumbled, and I could tell that Kaiba was hardly convinced.

"Fine, okay, I'm going to bed now." I muttered as I piled my notebooks and shut my laptop. Kaiba shrugged and I dragged myself off to the bedroom, admitting to myself that Kaiba was probably right about me being tired. Exhausted was more like it.

Falling onto the bed, I lay back into the soft pillows and curled up in the thick comforter. The bed was extremely comfortable; although my arm made it difficult to find a position I could lay in. Soon I could feel my mind slipping into unconsciousness. And as I drifted off I thought that this would now be the third time I had gone to sleep dead tired in the past three days.

.--Kaiba--.

I picked up a page of the notes you had left on the counter. They were written in a very messy kanji, which struck me as odd. You seemed like the type to have neat handwriting. However, you were more artistically minded than analytical, unlike myself. I guess I had never really paid attention to your writing before, when we worked together in class.

Feeling the effects of my own exhaustion, I laid your work aside, carefully placing the papers back into the neat little stack you had them in, then nearly collapsed into the chair at my desk.

The past few days had been hard on me too. My hand still throbbed a little where I had grabbed the hot metal trying to open your apartment door, and things at work hadn't slowed down in weeks. Missing a whole evening of work had put me greatly behind, not that I'd tell you that. You'd just go and blame yourself; you have a tendency of doing that.

I'd had to work the whole night through after I left the hospital, and even then I was hardly productive as I was too busy thinking about what had happened. You're face, when I found you on the floor, was even paler than usual. It reminded me of how you looked at battle city in your duel with Yugi, and of when you found us in Egypt. You scared the living daylights out of the idiot duelist before falling down the stairs.

I had been equally surprised to see you there, but it was fairly obvious that it wasn't the evil spirit who had approached us. Anyone with half a brain could tell it was you, despite the empty look in your eyes. Of course Yugi's cheerleaders only have half a brain between all of them, so I'm not surprised they were confused.

I used to group you with them, actually. It really wasn't until you kidnapped Mokuba and threatened me into a duel that I really thought of you as someone separate from the group. Although, in all fairness, that wasn't you. Nonetheless, I began to notice that you were always just a little different from everyone else in Yugi's group.

It made sense that I never really noticed you, though. You don't like to be noticed do you? You're very good at fading into the background, and you never make a fuss or cause any problems. Ironic considering the spirit of the ring… Unlike him you were content to let the world pass by, and if anyone ever asked, you just said you were fine and we all moved along.

I didn't understand that. Why wouldn't you stand up for yourself? Then again, I've never had a problem expressing my opinions, so I guess I couldn't understand. But there were times, mostly after high school ended and we met again in college, when I wanted to reach out and…

My cell phone started to ring again and I looked down at the device, already feeling a headache mounting.

"What is it this time?" I answered, not in the mood to be polite now after having tried to deal with this issue three times already today.

"G-gomenasai, Kaiba-sama. It seems that the product shipment hasn't yet arrived at the Tokyo building. We haven't been able to track the truck down yet, and we can't seem to get a hold of the transport service."

I mentally groaned, wondering in how many ways these idiots could manage to mess up a simple procedure like shipping a few thousand duel disks within the same country.

"Did you use the satellite system to track down the truck?"

"Yes, sir, we tried that."

"Did you try to track down the registration number of one of the disks?"

"…No, not yet."

"Well then do it!" I growled into the phone, unable to believe the incompetence of my supposedly qualified staff.

Just then a knock sounded at the door and I wondered who the heck would be at my apartment this late. I was not in the mood to deal with another distraction, especially seeing as I was so close to catching up on the work I'd missed and all I wanted was to get that over with so I could sleep.

"Kaiba-kun? It's Megan." A familiar voice sounded from behind the door, and I quickly shut my cell phone, not bothering to say goodbye, before I opened the door.

"Still busy with work?" The young woman asked as she stepped inside, heaving a large box past the threshold. I quickly grabbed the package and helped her set it down on a chair before she fell over.

"What's all that?" I asked, ignoring her previous question. She knew just as well as anyone how busy I was with my company's various issues and idiots.

"These are Bakura-kun's clothes. Otogi-san told me he was staying with you. Isn't that ironic, I had no idea you and Otogi-san knew each other."

"We're just acquaintances. I'd forgotten that Otogi Ryuuji was your boss." Megan paused a moment to stretch her arms (the box was surprisingly heavy for just containing clothes), before she gave me a reprimanding look.

"You haven't eaten dinner yet, have you?" I sighed and shrugged, knowing she meant that rhetorically. "Kaiba-kun, how many times do I need to come up here and feed you before you start taking care of yourself? I guess I'll have to stop by tomorrow with some food."

"I'll be out tomorrow evening."

"Yes, I figured. I meant I'd bring food over for Bakura-kun. You have a guest now, Kaiba-kun, and he's supposed to be here to recover from his injuries. You can starve yourself all you want but I'm going to make sure Bakura-kun is well fed. Speaking of which, when do I get to meet him?"

I was almost tempted to laugh as she crossed her arms and looked up at me defiantly. Her attempts were in vain though as she was a full thirty centimeters shorter than I.

"Don't worry, Otogi took Bakura out for dinner before he dropped him off. He's asleep now anyway, so you'll have to wait till tomorrow."

"Well then, I will definitely be bringing dinner over tomorrow. I hope he's feeling better by then. Otogi-san said he was still very quiet when he left. I think he's worried about Bakura-kun. He talks about Bakura-kun a lot whenever we are traveling. I'm surprised I never put two and two together, after all isn't this the guy that you-"

She was cut off as my cell phone started ringing _again_. "Is it work?"

I looked down at the screen and grumbled a bit. She chuckled and headed towards the door. "I'll just be leaving then. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow, depending on when you get home. Bye bye!" She smiled cheerily then shut the door.

I flipped the phone open and snarled, "what now?"

.--Bakura--.

I glared at my laptop, hoping for some reason that this would make the infernal device start doing my work for me…somehow.

It didn't, which didn't surprise me. And as if to mock my efforts the screen saver popped up with a plain black background and an annoying bouncing ball that changed colors every few seconds.

No matter how hard or long I worked on this darn paper, it just seemed like nothing was coming out right. The examples didn't fit together in any sort of logical order, and the thesis statement was flat out pathetic.

I just couldn't seem to start. I knew what I wanted to say, but the actual process of saying it eluded me. Overall the entire process was extremely frustrating.

Just as I was about to slam the laptop shut and give up entirely a knock sounded at the door, and I looked over wondering whether or not I should answer it.

It couldn't have been Kaiba, he had his own key, of course. And Otogi hadn't said he would be stopping by. Actually, when he'd called earlier he'd mentioned how crazy things were getting at work and apologized for not being able to spend more time with me.

After a second series of knocks I stood up and hesitantly pulled the door open. I was met by a young woman with a large grin on her face. "You must be Bakura-kun!" She extended a hand from beneath a large covered dish and I shook it, confused. "I've brought you some dinner, since Kaiba-kun is out. Here, can you hold the door open while I set this down?"

I quickly moved aside as she walked in and placed the dish down on the counter. She was short, only slightly taller than Yugi, and her hair was very light brown. I could tell from her accent and her greeting that she was foreign, although hand shaking was becoming more popular in Japan, what with all the international businesses popping up.

I realized, as she headed straight for the cupboards, pulling out two plates and a pair of forks, that she obviously knew Kaiba well. She seemed pretty familiar with his kitchen.

Suddenly a thought I'd never considered struck me; was she, perhaps, Kaiba's girlfriend? It seemed odd to think of Kaiba with someone – he wasn't exactly the romantic type – but I began to suspect this was the case as the young woman pulled a stool around the counter and motioned for me to sit down.

"I'll just heat this up a bit before we start. It took me longer than I thought to get up here with this in tow." She smiled and opened up the oven, setting the dish inside and rotating the dial to start it up. "So how are you feeling? I heard you were pretty tired yesterday."

I blinked, still a little confused and overwhelmed. "I'm fine, but… I'm sorry, what's your name again?"

"Oh! Jeez, I apologize. I completely forgot to introduce myself didn't I? My name is Megan Sumiyoshi, er – Sumiyoshi Megan. I live a few floors down. Kaiba told me you were asleep when I dropped your clothes off yesterday. How much did you have in that box anyway? It was heavy!"

Somehow this only made me more confused and she must have seen this as she sighed and shook her hands in the air, exasperated. "Here I go again. I'm sorry, Bakura-kun, but I have a tendency of rambling on sometimes. I'm Otogi-san's assistant, he told me what happened to you, what with the apartment burning down and your arm…

Anyways, Otogi-san told me you were staying here, and I explained that I, coincidentally, happened to live in this apartment building too. I've known Kaiba-kun for a while now, but I never knew he and Otogi-san knew each other. So I stopped by yesterday after I got home from my business trip and brought your spare clothes over. But Kaiba said you were asleep, so I said I'd bring some dinner over tonight and say hello."

"Oh, okay." I smiled, understanding what she meant when she apologized for rambling. But in a way it was cute when she did it. I could tell from her expression that she was a genuinely thoughtful person, and I wondered how she and Kaiba managed to get along. "Thank you for dinner, I'd completely forgotten about it."

She sighed and looked at me exasperated. "You're just like Kaiba-kun. I swear, if I didn't bring him dinner every once in a while I think he'd forget to eat entirely. He gets so involved with his work that he doesn't even notice when it's time to eat! My husband laughs and says I worry too much, but I can't help it. Kaiba-kun is just so hopeless!"

"Your husband?" I blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, we live down on the fifth floor. Our son is about the same age as Kaiba's little brother, Mokuba. We met once, when he was visiting, about two years ago." I looked down at my plate awkwardly when I realized that Megan was, in fact, already married. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how obvious it was. She _was_ wearing a ring, after all, and now that I looked closer she was about ten years older than him.

She was a very pretty woman, though, and I found myself feeling a bit more relaxed as she smiled and continued to talk about how she met Kaiba. "Oh, I should probably grab the food now." She hopped up and grabbed a pair of oven mitts before removing the dish and setting it down on the counter. As she lifted the lid off I could suddenly smell a very appetizing aroma coming from the plate.

"It's chicken alfredo. I haven't quite mastered Japanese cooking yet, and I didn't want to show up with something inedible. I hope you like Italian food."

"This is fine, I don't get to eat food this good that often." She smiled as I piled some of the creamy noodles onto my plate.

"Itadakimasu (4)," I picked up the fork she'd set by my plate and began to spin it around the noodles, lifting some up to my mouth carefully. My injuries, luckily, had not prevented me from using my right hand.

I am most definitely _not_ ambidextrous.

She scooped out some for herself. "Do you like it?"

"It's delicious," I managed to say, despite half a mouth full of noodles.

"I'm glad you like it. Kaiba, fortunately, isn't too picky of an eater himself. Normally I just bring up a plate of whatever I've made for my family. He really is hopeless though, you know? He's not a bad person, just hopeless. I'd heard rumors at work that he was real bastard (pardon my language), but he's always been nice to my family and me. He's a tough businessman from all accounts, but if you ask me I think he's really a softie. You can see it when he thinks about Mokuba and – er, well, he could use a koibito (5)." She grinned.

The time flew by rather quickly as we talked between mouthfuls of food. By the time I looked over at the clock half an hour had already past.

"I see you're familiar with using forks. I didn't think of putting out chopsticks. Sorry about that." She finished off the last of her noodles and pushed her plate away, sighing. "Ugh, I'm full."

"Actually, I'm majoring in cultural studies, so I'm fairly familiar with a few European customs. How did you end up in Japan, by the way?"

"Oh, well, I was born in the United States, in Washington actually. But I moved to California when I went to college in San Francisco to study business. I ended up finding a job with Industrial Illusions a few years ago, which is how I met Otogi. When he began to produce his game in the states we ended up working together a lot and he offered me a better position as his personal assistant here in Japan.

At the time I was already married to my husband, Seki, who was originally from Japan himself, so we decided to move. And that's how we ended up here. Luckily Seki was able to help me with my Japanese, and was fluent himself. But you say you're in cultural studies, does that mean you speak another language too?"

"Yes, I can speak English pretty well, and I'm currently studying German and Spanish as well."

"Wow, that's quite a lot to handle."

"Well it is my major. I don't really know what I want to do with the degree after I graduate, though. I suppose I could work as a translator, there are a lot of companies that are looking for people who can speak multiple languages. But I think I want to travel a bit before I settle into a job."

"I see; that's very interesting. So what other classes are you taking?"

I explained my curriculum to her, and she listened intently as I told her about CCS and how Kaiba and I worked together often in that class. She remembered him mentioning it a few times and asked how I was enjoying my life as a student.

"I think I like it a little too much. I could go on learning forever, I don't know if I _want_ to graduate." She laughed and I joined her, somewhat embarrassed.

Just then we heard a key slide through the slot by the door and Kaiba walked in looking a little tired.

"Konbanwa (6), Kaiba-kun," Megan greeted him cheerily. He glanced over and a little of the tension faded from his expression.

"Hello, Megan-san, I see you've met Bakura." She nodded enthusiastically.

"Would you like some dinner?"

"No, thank you, I had dinner at work." Kaiba dropped his briefcase on his desk with a rather loud thump. I could tell he wasn't in the best of moods, though he was acting rather agreeable towards Megan.

"Great, dessert then!" She exclaimed, and Kaiba shrugged as she walked over to the fridge and pulled out another plate I hadn't seen her come in with. Kaiba slipped off his overcoat and draped it neatly over his desk chair.

"How was your day, Bakura?" He turned to look at me as I coughed and swallowed the mouthful of food I'd just eaten, making a fool of myself in the process.

"It was fine," I answered, grabbing my glass of water and taking a long sip.

"Good." He replied, and then he leaned back against the counter and looked off at the wall distantly. "I'm going to get changed."

"Make sure you get back before the ice cream melts!" Megan called out, and I could see her piling a scoop of chocolate ice cream over a large slice of brown cake.

"Have you ever had a brownie sundae before, Bakura-kun?" I shook my head and she set the plate before me eagerly. "Well, you'll love it."

I took a small bite of the concoction and was amazed at how the chocolate cake melted, deliciously, in my mouth. It was much more sugary than the deserts I was used to, but I'd always had a sweet tooth.

"I told you!" Megan gleamed and I found myself grinning with her.

"This is great. I've always liked desserts from other countries, but most of my friends think they're too sweet. Cream puffs are my favorite."

"Oh, I don't know how to make those, sorry. They're a bit too difficult for me. Well, I have to go now. It's time for me to put my son to bed, and Seki will be wondering where I've gone off to. It was nice to finally meet you, Bakura-kun." She quickly packed up her plates and scribbled something on a piece of paper, leaving it on the counter.

"That's for Kaiba, when he comes back. I'll see you later!" I held the door open for her as she walked out.

"It was very nice to meet you too, Sumiyoshi-san. Thank you very much for dinner." I spoke in English this time and she giggled. I blushed a little wondering if I'd made a mistake.

"You're so polite, Bakura-kun. At least call me Megan!" She smiled again and closed the door. I stood there a few moments, feeling a little overwhelmed by the silence left by her departure, then I sat back down to enjoy the dessert. It really was fantastic.

After I finished the sundae I carried the dishes over to the counter and began to wash them off in the sink. I heard the door to Kaiba's room open and looked up to see him walking out, his hair still slightly wet from the shower and his black collared shirt half unbuttoned.

A small V of skin showed behind the dark fabric of his shirt, and I found it strange to see Kaiba dressed so casually. Actually, it looked rather nice.

I realized that I'd been staring at him and I shook my head, looking down at the plates, hoping Kaiba hadn't noticed my ogling. Not that I was ogling.

He walked over to the kitchen and looked at the note Megan had left for him, his expression looking oddly surprised for a moment. "You like creampuffs?" Kaiba asked, slightly confused.

I blinked, equally puzzled. Kaiba held up the note Megan had left but I couldn't see the writing. "That's what she wrote."

Kaiba shrugged and set the note aside; and for a second I thought he was embarrassed again. But before I could be sure about that he turned around and sat down at his desk. He swirled the mouse around to bring the screen back up, and I was beginning to think this was a force of habit for him. If he wasn't working I don't think he'd know what to do with himself.

I couldn't help but look again as he ran his hand through his hair, watching the screen turn from black to blue as the screensaver dissolved. His hair fell messily around his eyes and the wet strands clung to the back of his neck where his shoulders began. I blushed again and looked out the window telling myself to stop being so weird.

I decided to try to work on my paper some more, hoping that the break had cleared my mind enough for me to focus again.

I picked up my notepad and moved from the counter to one of the large sofa-chairs in the far corner of the room, by the windows, telling myself that maybe if I just started writing about my subject, something would come to me.

It was actually a very interesting topic. I had chosen language as my subject, specifically as it related to images and actions. My general idea was to focus on how language affected people and cultures, and how it formed their cultural identity. I also wanted to focus on the importance language had on people, beyond communication. I felt, very strongly, that people were beginning to lose their ability to use language fully, and that it was being lost to chat speak and expletives in today's busier, faster society.

Jonouchi was a good example of this, with his at times fluent and colorful cursing and his inability to form grammatically correct sentences when he got riled up. Then again, I seemed to have lost my control over language as well, as I was finding it impossible to put all these ideas down on paper in a cohesive manner.

I continued to scribble my thoughts down on the paper, not bothering to write legibly, or to even use correct punctuation. Maybe by deliberately practicing what I was opposed to I would find some inspiration. However, it didn't seem to be working, as all I came up with was a series of unreadable and unrelated words.

I heard Kaiba's computer click shut and looked up to see him leaning back in his chair, his hands on either side of his head as though he was trying to block out the entire world.

"Have you ever wanted to find the nearest large cliff and just jump off it?" I looked at Kaiba, shocked to hear these words coming out of his mouth. "Hm?" He looked back at me, leaning farther back in his chair in the process.

"Actually, I was just considering that." I threw my notepad onto the couch next to me and closed my eyes, as outwardly frustrated as Kaiba seemed to be on the inside. "You should take a break, Kaiba-kun, for once. You can afford it." I opened one eye and looked back at him.

He sat up in his chair then leaned his arm against the desk, propping his head up with the heel of his hand. "Would you like some help with your essay?" He looked at me sideways, and I felt like he was carefully assessing my reaction.

Instead of replying "I'm fine," as I always did, I sighed and said "I just can't think of a thesis. If I had a central idea I might be able to make some progress."

"What's the general premise of your paper?"

"Well, language, I guess. More in the sense of how we use words to communicate and less about any specific language."

"I see."

"I figured I would be able to write a lot about this subject seeing as I'm so interested in languages. You see, language has so much power, but I think it is being lost in today's society. People no longer take the time to think about what they're saying, what with all these acronyms and such on the internet. People are beginning to accept cookie cutter responses like 'lol' and 'omg' instead of forming their own responses.

And then people are always devaluing the power language actually has. If actions are more powerful than words, and pictures are worth a thousand, then why do we have language at all?

But you see, it is language that gives these things their power, because they force you to rethink your ideas. If you were trying to describe a flower, you could use such general terms as pretty, or red. But when you actually see or smell that flower you are presented with the real nature of it. The flower isn't pretty, it's exquisite, and it's not red, but rather deep, velvety crimson.

If we didn't have those words, the flower really would just be red and pretty, so even seeing it would be ordinary. But since we have different words to describe the flower and the level of it's beauty, our perception of it can be deeper and more meaningful, because these deeper and more meaningful concepts are a part of our consciousness."

I paused, suddenly, realizing that Kaiba was looking at me strangely, most likely shocked at how incredibly random my musings had become. "Sorry, I just…tend to be a little passionate about this."

"I think your premise is good; you just need to tighten it up a little. Focus more on either how people are mistreating language or on language's power."

I realized he was right, and I looked back down at my examples, crossing out some and drawing huge circles around some others. This is what I had meant when I thought Kaiba and I worked well together. He always seemed to take my large, abstract ideas and find a way to focus them.

Kaiba turned back around, and I spent the next few minutes reevaluating my notes, excited as the examples began to sound more and more related.

"Thanks Kaiba-kun, I think I finally have something. If I concentrate on the power of language instead of how society has misused it I think I can narrow it down." I reread the sentence that I'd underlined twice on my paper and circled once for good measure. Then I blinked, surprised, as I realized that Kaiba was leaning over the back of the couch, looking over my left shoulder at the notebook.

"I like it." He reached over and gently removed the pen from my hands and began to make a few notes of his own. His face was now very close to my own, and I could faintly smell his cologne as he continued to mark up the paper. The scent was very nice, actually, and somehow it made him seem very masculine. I felt his shirt collar brush slightly against my shoulder, and I looked at his eyes, startlingly blue as they read over my notes. They were focused and intense.

Feeling self-conscious now, I scooted away just a bit; he didn't seem to notice. "Here, these words are very good, make sure you reuse them when you write your topic sentences." He stood up and I felt like I could breathe again. "The thesis isn't perfect, but I think you've narrowed down your idea now. It's an interesting argument."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks a little as I looked up to see Kaiba still staring down, but this time at me. He looked a little surprised to see me returning his gaze, and he crossed his arms over his chest, looking out the window returning to his normal, noncommittal expression. But something about his posture struck me as odd, and I had a vague notion that Kaiba was also feeling a little awkward.

"Would you be interested in going to the BLAST concert tomorrow?" He asked, out of nowhere.

"You got tickets!" I blurted out, that being the first thing I could think of to say in response. The fact that Kaiba had offered me the tickets hadn't quite sunk in yet. The whole notion was a little shocking.

"A supplier gave me two free tickets. I heard Yugi and the others talking about going, I figured you could take one of them if you were interested."

"Are you sure, Kaiba-kun?" I was beginning to get excited. Though I had been less than enthused about waiting in line on Monday to get the tickets, I was actually hoping that Jonouchi and Honda would get some. The band was just beginning to grow in popularity, and I'd borrowed Yugi's CD a few weeks ago. They were pretty good.

"Just think of them as an early Christmas present." Kaiba shrugged his shoulders a little and I found myself hesitating.

"Why don't you want to go, Kaiba-kun?"

"I'm too busy. I'll print the tickets off my computer tomorrow. The concert's in Tokyo, if you need a ride I could get you some tickets for the bullet train, too." And with that Kaiba walked back to his computer.

"Oh, well, thank you…" I stretched a little, realizing that I was sore from sitting in the same position for so long, then stood up, laying my notebook aside.

"I'm going to take a shower then go to bed. I think I've done everything I can with my essay tonight." Kaiba just said okay and I realized that he was engrossed in his work.

I shook my head, sighing a little. Kaiba obviously didn't know when to call it quits.

As I carefully rewrapped the bandages around my blistered arm, still a little wet from the shower, I noticed a familiar smell in the bathroom.

It was Kaiba's cologne, still lingering from when he'd showered earlier. My stomach gave a strange twist and I walked out of the room, pulling on my pajama pants and an old t-shirt before falling onto the bed, my arms and legs spread wide over the sheets.

I must have jinxed myself yesterday when I thought about how I kept going to bed exhausted. Now I could barley keep my eyes closed, there were so many thoughts bouncing around my head.

I thought about my paper and all the new ideas I had, and how everything was finally starting to fit. Then I thought about the concert and wondered whom I should invite, seeing as there was only one other ticket.

I couldn't invite Honda or Jonouchi because the other one would then kill me. Yugi would be nice, but he would probably refuse because the others couldn't go.

Eventually I decided to ask Otogi. I had no idea if he was interested in the band, but I knew he liked to go to these things, and of all of my friends I was most comfortable around him.

I opened my eyes and looked over at the small, digital clock on the bedside table. It was already close to midnight, and I sighed, wondering how long I'd been lying there thinking. But despite this I still couldn't get myself to fall asleep, so I stood up and decided to get a glass of water.

When I opened my door and rounded the corner of the kitchen I saw Kaiba, his arms folded over his desk and his head tucked into them. When he didn't move I figured he was asleep, though the lamp was still lit and his computer was still on, the screen saver shooting stars into a digital universe.

I quietly filled a glass with water and sipped it slowly, letting the cold water flow down my throat and trying to calm my mind. _This is when he must sleep_, I thought vaguely, as I looked back at Kaiba.

It didn't seem very comfortable to me, but then again I suppose Kaiba was too tired to think about that. Why else would he have fallen asleep in the middle of his work?

I paused as I walked back to my room and turned around, walking over to Kaiba's desk instead. Moving around his chair quietly so as not to wake him up I carefully closed the laptop and turned off the lamp. The darkness swallowed the room and outside the traffic lights continued to flash.

.------.

Notes…

(1) One of Kaiba's favorite nicknames for Jounouchi. It means "mediocre"

(2) This is actually inspired by something I found on while searching for an episode. It's an AMV tribute to Otogi and Kaiba created by MiuTinichi to the song Superstar (by Toybox). I would highly suggest watching it. They reuse the images a lot and it could be better, but it's still hilarious, and it has some nice shots of Seto (what can I say, I'm still a fangirl no matter how sane I try to be). Anyways here are some of the better lyrics...

_I am a superstar, with a big big house and a big big car  
__I am a superstar and I don't care who you are_

_(repeat)_

_I got a plane (got a plane)  
__I love the fame (love the fame)  
__You know my name (know my name)  
__And I just want you to know..._

_Chorus_

_I got fortune, I got fame  
Love it when you say my name._  
_Love to party, I am naughty _  
_prettier than everbody _

Yeah, like I said, very appropriate for Otogi.

(3) This is how one answers the phone. In English we would just say hello.

(4) Japanese people tend to say this before eating; it's equivalent to saying grace in English.

(5) Lover, as in girlfriend or boyfriend, but gender neutral.

(6) Good evening

-

Ooooh, look, I made it through chapter two! Let's celebrate, only six more to go. I'm a quarter of the way done! I hope I can finish before August…

Bakura: Why do you always end the chapters with me sleeping?

SC: Ummm… Be quiet! Go to sleep!

Bakura: You're just being lazy, couldn't you think of a better way to end this? How many chapters do you end like this, anyway?

SC: …Only chapters 1-4

Bakura: That's half the fic!

SC: Okay, fine, I'll change it…

You'll notice that the chapter now ends after Bakura turns off the light. Blame Bakura, originally there were a grand three sentences after that in which Bakura fell asleep. Rather cutely in my opinion.

Bakura: -.-

Otogi: Okay, you're done now.

SC: Hey since when do you guys get to appear in my comments?

Otogi: Since you started getting all serious and contemplative at the beginning of this chapter. Nobody wants to listen to you're crazy, abstract ideas about the universe.

SC: Heh, you used a homonym wrong

Otogi: Nope, no more talking for you.

Bakura: I hope you all enjoyed chapter two. SC-san is now being strapped to her chair and forced to watch emo BakuraxYamiBakura AMVs.

SC: The agony!

--SC


	3. Meter

_Disclaimer: Own do Yu Gi Oh I not._

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

In an effort to lighten up this section of pointless rambling I have invited a few characters to help me with my comments. First Seto!

Seto: I never agreed to do this.

SC: Yes, but I'm the writer so you must submit to my will!

Seto: ...What if I refuse?

SC: Then I shall be forced to write that break up fic I have planned for you and Ryou.

Seto: I hate you.

SC: Awwww, anything for your koibito!

Seto: Get away from me.

Many thanks to Jessy-chan! As always.

-

Two reviews this time…well, it's an improvement

FlyingShadow666: I'm glad you liked Megan. I try to be careful with OC's because they can easily fall into the dreaded Mary-Sue-ness.

Sabrina: Waah! First off I would like to tackle/hug you. I was starting to feel a bit down after only getting one review, but reading yours made me literally skip around my room! But more importantly I should reply to your review. I agree, Seto/Ryou is rare, and there need to be more fics with them! (Have you read FairyDust? It's also good, in my opinion) Anyway, I can't thank you enough for your thoughtful response; I love it when people _think_ about what they like (or dislike) in a story. I do try to keep the characters in character… but I'm afraid keeping Seto in character and having him fall in love is impossible. I hope you enjoy chapter three!

-

**Meter**

n. A rhythmic pattern used in verse; the rhythm of a poem or work.

.--Bakura--.

I hate my ring tone; it is obnoxious. I have said this before. However, at 8:30 in the morning after three days of horribly little sleep, there are no words to describe how awful it is to wake up to said ring tone. So it was understandable, in my opinion, that once I finally managed to get myself out of bed to answer the ring tone, or rather the phone, I was not in the most pleasant of moods.

"Ohayou (1), Bakura-kun!" Otogi's irritably energetic voice sounded over the speaker.

"Otogi, it is eight-thirty in the morning…" I also think it is understandable that I omitted the honorific after Otogi's name, if only to impress upon him further the implications of my words – it was eight-thirty in the _morning_.

"Yeah, wake up sleepy head." I groaned, he always, _always_ chose the weirdest times to call me. I was shocked he was even alert enough to formulate a sentence. Otogi took quite a long time to wake up in the mornings…

First he needed coffee, then he needed to be clean, then he needed more coffee, then he needed to be "sexy" (as he put it). This involved a good deal of fussing in front of the bathroom mirror with his hair and makeup.

I never understood the eyeliner.

I, on the other hand, am not a morning person. Otogi knows this, which is why I think he called so early. "I'm going back to bed."

"Awww, Bakura-kun, don't be so mean! I was just checking up on you," he whined.

"Bye."

"Wait!" Otogi yelped, and I sighed. Being slightly more awake now and having regained some of my normal politeness, I couldn't just hang up. "Are you busy tonight? I took the day off. Or rather, I just don't have anything to do at work, so I'm not going."

"Actually, I got tickets to the BLAST concert tonight."

"What!" He exclaimed. "How?"

"Kaiba-kun got them from a supplier and asked if I was interested." I was pleased with his shocked reaction. Perhaps taunting him with the tickets would be suitable payback for waking me up.

"How many tickets did he get? Is there an extra?" I was surprised that Otogi was so interested. I had planned on asking him anyway, but I wasn't sure if he had actually heard of the band before. Their music was Otogi's style, though.

"Well…" I paused. I wanted to say that I did have an extra ticket and commence with the taunting. But then, for some reason, I thought of Kaiba last night, asleep at his desk. He had brushed me off yesterday when I suggested that he take a break, but he obviously needed it.

Honestly, I had no idea why this suddenly mattered to me. Maybe it was because of what Megan had said – that Kaiba was a softie. Or maybe it was how I'd begun to notice that Kaiba wasn't quite as self-centered as everyone seemed to picture him, he _had_ saved my life after all.

Or maybe it was the mental image of Kaiba with his head pillowed in his arms, his face not shadowed enough by the light of the computer behind him to hide the relaxed, peaceful expression on his face.

"Gomenasai, Otogi-kun, I don't have any extras."

"Shoot. Oh well, not your fault. So, do you have something to wear?"

"Nani?" I paused a second, forgetting about how Kaiba had looked sleeping and thinking instead about the box Megan had brought over the previous day. "Well I was just going to wear a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt."

"Nope, not going to work."

"What do you mean?" I was really confused now. "It's just a concert, right?"

"If Kaiba got the tickets, then they'll probably be VIP. You'll need something nice, unless you want to look like a bum surrounded by all the rich people. And I know how much you hate to stand out, so don't bother denying it."

I groaned and fell back onto the bed with a thud. "I don't _have_ anything nice, Otogi-kun. All I have are my old clothes from high school!"

"Don't worry, I'm already bored and the day isn't even half over yet. I'll stop by around noon and we can go find you something. I'll buy you lunch too, okay?"

"I guess…"

"Okay, see you then!" I sighed as he hung up, wondering what I was getting myself into. But Otogi knew more about stuff like this than I did, so I knew that I had to trust him. I just hoped wherever he took me had normal clothes.

When I walked out into the living room I was surprised to find Kaiba standing by the window, staring out into the distance. His hair was slightly messed up on one side and I could almost see shadows under his eyes. Obviously, he had not slept well.

"Again, you really need to take a break." He jumped as I spoke, and looked around to face me.

"I didn't hear you come out."

"I startled you…" I didn't know if that was meant to be a question or a statement, but it came out halfway between each. It didn't matter, though, because Kaiba had already returned his attention to the window, leaning against it now and managing to look entirely well-rested, confident, and distant as usual. I wondered, rather, at his remarkable ability to entirely conceal his emotions like this.

"It's not healthy to work so much Kaiba-kun. That much stress could kill you. Really, one or two days won't hurt you. I'm sure you're already weeks ahead of schedule anyway."

If Kaiba heard me, he certainly wasn't responding. I was beginning to wonder if I'd really noticed a change in Kaiba or if it had just been a trick of my sleep deprived mind.

"I saw you asleep at your desk last night, Kaiba-kun. Honestly, I know you love your lap top more than anything, but sleeping with it is a bit of a stretch, don't you think." Maybe humor would get his attention.

"I don't love work more than anything."

I blinked, surprised at his serious answer. He had spoken softly, in a low voice that almost sounded upset, if not bitter. His bangs were covering his eyes so I couldn't tell which it was. There was an awkward silence now between us. I was trying to think of a way to break it, looking down at my own feet, now.

"Would you come to the concert with me?" That just sort of came out first.

The questioned seemed to echo in my mind as Kaiba's silence dragged out the seconds before he responded.

"Sure." He looked up and I felt my cheeks tingle slightly as his eyes met my own. His face was calm and blank, but somehow this made his eyes seem bigger than his normal, more frigid, expression did.

I smiled; it was really all I could do. I'd given up on saying anything logical.

.------.

"Hey Bakura." Otogi poked his head inside as I opened the door, looking around curiously. I tried to block him from coming in but he easily side stepped me and casually sat himself down on a stool.

Kaiba, who was at his computer printing the concert tickets, just ignored him. Otogi really had no respect for other's privacy.

"So, how are you getting to Tokyo, anyway? It's too far off to drive."

"Kaiba-kun and I are taking the bullet train." I replied, pulling on a jacket in hopes that Otogi would take the hint and let us leave.

"You're going with Kaiba-kun!?" I winced as I realized that I'd meant to keep that a secret. Not that it needed to be secret. Otogi looked over at him incredulously and Kaiba glanced back Otogi, lifting his shoulders in a small shrug.

"I could use a break," was all Kaiba said. He looked at me and I almost thought he smiled. But any expression he had disappeared as Otogi continued to voice his disbelief.

"You? Take a break? Well that's something I never expected to hear? Are you about to die, or something? Do you have cancer?" Whatever it had been, Kaiba's face was now set in an exasperated frown.

"Bakura suggested it."

I pulled a scarf around my head and avoided looking at either of them, not wanting to see the irritation on Kaiba's face or the shock on Otogi's. I found myself being dragged out of the apartment by the wrist as Otogi shouted a quick good bye and let the door shut behind us.

"Ow, Otogi-kun, my arm!" I stumbled a bit as a streak of pain stung my nerves up through my elbow to my neck.

"Sorry…" As we stepped into the elevator, Otogi looked at me warily. "Bakura-kun, what exactly have you done to Kaiba-kun?"

"N-nothing, Otogi-kun. I just told him he was working too much."

"Yeah, exactly. He _listened _to you?"

"I guess."

"Whatever, it's creepy." Otogi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the elevator wall. "What's happened between you two, then?"

I blushed, not quite knowing what Otogi was implying.

"Don't answer that." Otogi rolled his eyes and we moved onto more general topics. "Oh, I'm all ready to move into my apartment now. I'll be packing up tomorrow and I should be all done by Christmas Eve. So I guess you can move in anytime after that."

"Oh." I paused, remembering the arrangement we'd agreed upon back in the hospital. "I suppose I'll just move in after we get back from New York, that'll be easier. Anyway I can help?"

"I thought you'd ask. Well, I guess I can't say no, then you'd feel bad. Come on over Sunday."

By the time we'd reached the store we'd returned to our normal states. Otogi was eagerly discussing ideas for what we should buy, and I was listening distractedly, objecting at various times to the more outrageous notions.

"How about this?" He held up a pair of pants that looked like they'd be too tight, even for Yami no Yugi.

"No." I stated bluntly. Otogi sighed and made a face at me.

"But they'd look so sexy on you! Plus, if you put on that black shirt I showed you a few minutes ago then you'd really have a hard time keeping the ladies off. Probably some guys too, you look girly enough." He grinned and I just crossed my arms and attempted to glare back, although my glares were about as effective and threatening as marshmallow filled rubber duckies.

I realized, as I looked around for someone who could possibly save me from Otogi's overwhelming enthusiasm, how we must appear to the workers. They most likely thought we were gay. After all, Otogi tended to give that impression with his flamboyant way of… well… existing. I mean, even the way he stands screams gay.

My suspicions were confirmed as I glimpsed a girl on the opposite side of a display turn away and giggle slightly. Otogi's fan girls scared me.

"Actually, I seem to remember you being pretty popular with the girls back at Domino High. Didn't you have a fan club, or something?" Otogi was still trying to convince me to try the pants on.

"They just scared me." I replied bluntly. I remembered the look in some of their eyes with a shudder. That was about when I realized that I wasn't interested in girls. Not that I'd ever liked a guy either.

I'd had to turn down a few confessions, back then, which always made me feel bad. I never told them I didn't like women, I just said I wasn't interested. Our group of friends had been remarkably supportive when Yugi announced his relationship with Yami no Yugi. And I'm sure they would be more surprised at me being in a relationship in general than at the gender of my partner.

But it had never really come up. Besides, Jonouchi and Honda were definitely straight, and it's not like I was dating anyone anyway.

I'm pretty sure Otogi is gay too, actually, though we'd never talked about that either. We didn't talk about anything like that. But he had an equal following with the girls, and he never had a steady girlfriend, so I can only assume. Though he did have a crush on Jonouchi's little sister for a time, and he'd gone on quite a few dates, all with different girls.

Maybe he's bisexual. Whatever, too much to think about there.

I could see Otogi over at a nearby rack looking, frustrated, for something else to make me try on.

"Excuse me, can I help you find something?" A woman in a black skirt came up to me; her employee badge swung about on a lanyard so I couldn't quite read her name.

"Ah, yeah. I'm looking for something to wear to a concert tonight. I have VIP tickets…" I hoped this would mean something to her, as I still had no idea what was appropriate for this type of event. Otogi's explanation had been vague, and he had given up halfway through, telling me he'd just show me when we got to the store.

"Oh, I see." She smiled and walked me over to the other side of the store, pulling a couple items off a rack and arranging them on a table. "That shirt would look nice under this jacket, and if you want…" She trailed off and ran to a different display to grab something else.

She had actually pulled down two shirts. One was a plain white shirt, much like many I already owned (and Otogi bemoaned). The other was red with a jagged collar that looked as though it may have been held over a paper-shredder. The jacket, though, was nice. It was black and tailored, almost like a blazer, but the cuffs were long and came down over my wrists in wrinkled folds. The mock collar parted slightly at the front showing two small triangles of the bright yellow lining.

"Here, I brought a belt over too." She held up a black leather belt with an oversized silver buckle. I instantly thought of Yami no Yugi. He had a thing for belts… and chains. That was only a little disturbing when one thought about it, so I decided to stop.

"No, thank you. I like the jacket, though." I handed it to her and she smiled then went over to the register.

"I'm surprised, Bakura. You don't normally like bright colors." Otogi had somehow snuck up behind me. I turned around and shrugged. You couldn't really see the lining unless I left the front unzipped.

"It's just a jacket."

.------.

Surprisingly, the train station wasn't that busy when Kaiba and I arrived. It was around 5:30 in the evening, so normally the shinkansen (2) would have been filled with people returning from work or heading out for the weekend.

I guessed that there wouldn't be so many business people here, as most were already on their Christmas leave. However, I'd expected a lot more travelers and tourists. But the only people around seemed to be a few stragglers – one or two teens, a businessman with a briefcase dialing on his cell phone as he left the train, and a few families with large suitcases over by the gate.

The teens I saw were sitting together now, holding hands and leaning into each other comfortably. I thought about how often I'd seen couples out and about on campus in the past few weeks. Christmas, being the social holiday it was, often brought romance with it, especially among the younger generations. This was expressed with a great deal of hand holding and snuggling on park benches.

I vaguely wondered what it would be like to lean against someone like that and watch the snow fall, drifting slowly down from the icy blue sky. Up until now I'd spent most of my holidays with Yugi and the others, out having fun in the city. But this year everyone seemed more interested in staying home with their respective partners.

That and my apartment had burned down, leaving me in a rather awkward position right before the holidays. At least, thanks to the help from my friends and Kaiba, I hadn't suffered too much monetarily.

Speaking of Kaiba, I looked over to the ticket counter, wondering if he'd reached the front of the line yet. The older woman in front of him had been rather slow in getting her tickets, which had probably irritated him to no end.

He was at the front now, and I could hear his conversation with the man behind the counter from where I stood, a few meters off.

"Two tickets for Tokyo on the Nozami train." His voice was edgy, but the man didn't seem to mind. Likely as not he dealt with people like Kaiba every day.

"Would you like…" I lost interest in the transaction and continued to watch the people passing by. Someone with ridiculously pink hair was walking through the gates nearby, a pair of headphones engulfing her ears and her steps paced evenly with her music.

I couldn't help but think of a flamingo when I saw her pass, and I was busy contemplating various species of exotic birds when Kaiba suddenly appeared in front of me.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, looking down at me expectantly.

"Yeah." I mumbled and followed him through the gates to the platform, sliding my ticket through the automatic reader and taking it back as it popped out on the other side.

We had been standing at the platform for a full seven minutes before I looked up and realized where we were. The glowing sign above me flashed the characters first in kanji then in romanized characters, "reserved seating only."

"We have green seats?" I asked, dumbly stating the obvious. Kaiba just looked at me quizzically before shrugging his shoulders.

"What, did you think I wouldn't?"

"But don't they cost a couple thousand yen more?" Kaiba let out a small laugh that was more of a "hmph" as he tried to muffle his amusement. I realized how stupid the question was, of course they cost more. And why would Kaiba care? He owned a multinational corporation, not to mention what he inherited.

I looked back down at my feet, embarrassed. The train pulled up soon after, a large whoosh of air blowing back at the platform as the brakes engaged. The doors slid open quickly and a small mass of people filed out onto the platform, moving along rapidly so the waiting passengers could board.

Kaiba motioned for me to go in first, so I stepped carefully over the crack between the train and the concrete platform then glanced down at my ticket, looking for our seats.

We were seated in the very back of the car, which I supposed was convenient as no one else was seated near us. In fact there were only two other people in the car, and they had seats closer to the doors.

Sliding into the seats, I let my small bag fall down to my feet and watched as Kaiba turned off his cell phone and lifted his briefcase into the overhead storage compartment. I hadn't commented on his choice to bring the laptop with him. I'd figured he'd want to work on our way to Tokyo; the trip did take two and a half hours. Plus, seeing as talking on cell phones was banned in the trains, I had thought he would want the Internet access afforded by his laptop.

But for some reason he left the case in the compartment and sat down next to me, neither his cell phone nor his laptop on his person. I was a little astounded to see Kaiba without either. He could almost be mistaken for an ordinary twenty-year-old, except that his posture still said, "I'm extremely rich so don't event think about annoying me."

I turned towards the window and watched as the train began to pull out of the station and speed up, the landscape blurring from city to residential and eventually to the plain, open countryside.

I rarely rode the shinkansen. As a poor college student I didn't travel too often. And when I did I normally found the cheapest trains possible, which were normally the much slower trains that paralleled the shinkansen lines.

I remembered reading about the bullet trains, once, when I had been stuck at the station with nothing better to do than read a pamphlet. I hadn't understood too much because I had decided to choose the pamphlet written in English so I could practice.

What I did gather was that the bullet trains traveled incredibly fast (no duh) and sparked a series of similar systems across the globe. The Nozami train, which Kaiba and I were currently riding, traveled at somewhere around 270 kilometers per hour.

This would normally have been very daunting for me, as I was not one to take risks, and I was often too terrified at theme parks to ride anything faster or bigger than the Ferris Wheel.

Good thing Kaiba didn't offer me tickets to Kaiba Land…

"What are you so lost in thought about?" I jumped a little as Kaiba's sudden question startled me out of my reverie.

"I was just thinking about the train system. I don't really understand the technology behind it, but it's pretty amazing how advanced the system is. I heard it's the safest railway in the world."

"Hm, I guess. The systems aren't that advanced anymore, but they are better than the older trains. Do you always space out like that?" As usual, he wasn't looking at me when he asked the question, so I was a little confused as to how he meant his words.

"I'm sorry." I didn't quite know what I was apologizing for, but it was a default phrase for me.

"That wasn't the point. I meant…" He trailed off, and I wondered if he even knew what he'd meant.

I looked back out the window, attempting to escape the awkward silence that had grown between us after Kaiba had left his sentence unfinished.

"I understand how you feel. The first time I rode on the shinkansen was after Mokuba and I were adopted. Up until then we had never ridden in anything bigger than a car, so it was … different."

Kaiba was looking at me now, not at some spot on the distant wall. His eyes met mine with a slight frown that was more from his concentration on the memory than any unpleasantness. He had shifted around too so that his whole body was angled away from the aisle.

"Mokuba was terrified. And actually, I was too, a little. But I was older so I had to deal with that. I held his hand the whole way to Domino." Kaiba sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, mussing up the bangs just a little. I realized, randomly, that his eyes were quite a nice shade of blue. Somewhere between turquoise and midnight blue – the sort of blue that at times can seem green or purplish, but when you really look is quite blue. "We didn't see each other much after that."

I blinked as I remembered that Kaiba had been telling me about his first train ride. I'd missed most of it, but I was more surprised that he'd shared it at all. Kaiba never talked about his childhood. All I knew of it was from what Yugi and the others told me after his step brother captured their souls in a virtual world.

I was, luckily, not a part of that. Although being in the shadow realm wasn't much better.

But even then, Mokuba and Noah had done the talking. Kaiba had said very little of his life except as it concerned his hatred towards his stepfather.

"You're always so kind to Mokuba, aren't you?" I asked. I guess I was so caught up in the story I'd forgotten that I was talking to Kaiba Seto. Any other time I might have smacked myself upside the head for asking such an idiotic question. That or I would have been embarrassed out of my mind.

Much to my surprise, he replied.

"Not always."

"Really?"

"Well, Mokuba would have you believe that I abandon him every time I start working on a project. I think he's exaggerating, but I guess I do get rather…involved with my work." I tried not to roll my eyes at this, and he noticed. "Nonetheless, he made it quite clear once, when I was developing the duel disks, how much he disapproved of my behavior.

He snuck into my lab after I'd left for the day, and when I returned the next morning he had reprogrammed the holographic software so that no matter what card I played the only monster I could summon was Kuriboh. And then he'd just keep multiplying till the whole room was filled with exploding fuzz balls and the system ran out of memory.

Needless to say, I spent the next day deleting all his codes, which he'd hidden throughout the system. But just when I thought I'd deleted the last of it, a new line of code would initiate and I'd be face to face with those aggressive little fluff balls again... What are you doing?"

I couldn't help it. The mental image of Kaiba in a room filled with tiny kuribohs had made my stomach fairly explode with laughter. And the more I thought about it the harder I laughed.

"G-gomen…nasai…Kaiba-kun. I just … thinking of you and" I burst out into another round of laughter as I pictured the little brown poufs growling at Kaiba, who would most likely be glaring right back at them futilely.

I bent over in my seat and continued to laugh until there were tears in the corner of my eyes. And once my breathing came under control again I looked up to see Kaiba holding his hand over his eyes, shaking from the effort of holding back his own laughter.

Well this set me off again, and pretty soon I was gasping for air, and even Kaiba hadn't been able to hold back. He was still laughing when I sat back up, not as hard as I'd been, but laughing nonetheless.

His eyes were closed and his hand over his face, though that couldn't hide his expression. He was smiling as he laughed, and though he managed to collect himself fairly soon, I was still staring at him, dumbfounded.

Kaiba had laughed. He had genuinely laughed, not a sneering laugh, or a maniacal laugh, he had just laughed.

I…rather liked his laugh. It was quiet, no louder than polite conversation, but it was nice. It was a lot more pleasant that I would have thought.

"You know, Kaiba-kun, you really deserved that." He looked at me, a slight smile remaining on his features, though they had relaxed again to neutral attentiveness. After I spoke he sighed and I wish I hadn't said anything as he frowned slightly.

"Yeah, I know."

We both looked up, taken aback, when the train pulled to a stop at Tokyo station and the doors opened at the far end of the car.

"We're here?" I asked, a little sad that the ride was over.

"Apparently." He replied. We both grabbed our bags and stepped off the train, rushing so that the doors didn't close before we got off the train. Standing for a moment on the platform, I looked to my left, and Kaiba was looking back down at me. Then he averted his gaze, searching for the exit instead of any signs in my own expression. I wondered if he noticed my own, boring, brown eyes. Definitely not, he had returned to hardly seeing me at all.

For some reason, I felt like the train had taken something away from me when it sped out of the station.

.--Yugi--.

_Aibou, how much longer do we have to wait out here in the cold? I'm bored._

I rolled my eyes and chose not to answer my other's question for the third time in the past ten minutes. Obviously the patience Mou Hitori no Boku has when he's dueling doesn't carry over into real life. This, for me, was unfortunate.

_Aibou…_

"I'm so excited, you guys! I can't believe we actually got tickets!" Jonouchi let out another exclamation of cheer beside me and I felt a little of my own impatience fall away.

"You and Honda-kun have really been looking forward to this haven't you?" I looked up at Jonouchi and smiled.

"Heck yeah!" Honda slapped his arm over Jounouchi's shoulders and grinned. "And it's all thanks to this idiot."

"Who're you calling an idiot! Besides, it was Yugi's grandpa that got the tickets."

"Yeah, but you where the one who got on his knees and begged for them."

"I did _not_ beg."

_Aibou…_

I smiled as they began to shout insults back and forth, ignoring Shizuka's pleas for them to behave. Mai, wisely, kept quiet and far away.

_Aibou! Stop ignoring me!_

_What is it, Mou hitori no boku?_ I relented and answered.

_When can we go inside? It's cold outside._

_It shouldn't be too much longer. And you can't feel the cold, so stop complaining._

The spirit was pouting, although I can't tell you how I knew that. _I'm not complaining. You're shivering. I just don't want you getting sick._

_Mou hitori no boku…_I felt my other's presence wrap around me protectively, and though this didn't provide any real warmth, I felt better. _Sorry for worrying you._

"Hey, isn't that Bakura-kun?" Otogi, who had been amusing himself by watching Jonouchi and Honda, exclaimed loudly.

"What?" We all looked over to where Otogi had pointed, and there was Bakura, making his way to the front of the line behind someone who I couldn't quite see because of the crowds and my height.

"Hey, Bakura-kun!" I shouted and waved. He glanced over at us and I saw a large grin spread over his face.

"Yugi-kun!" He shouted back and started towards us. "I didn't know you guys were going to be here."

"Well we didn't know _you'd _be here, either." I replied, curious now.

"Really? I told Otogi-kun…" But Bakura couldn't finish his sentence as Jonouchi interrupted him with a loud exclamation.

"Bakura-kun, you _are _here! How did you get tickets?" He had been in the middle of attempting to get Honda in a headlock (unsuccessfully), when he yelled this. Honda winced as the shock of Jonouchi's voice hit his ears. But Jonouchi ignored this and ran up to Bakura with disbelief written across his face.

Bakura sighed then turned around like he was looking for someone.

"Are you losers actually here for the concert?" We all stared, shocked, as Kaiba stepped out of the crowd behind Bakura and looked down at us with his typical frown. "Or do you just enjoy standing out in the cold?"

"Kaiba-teme! (3) What are you doing here? Bakura, you didn't actually accept a ticket from that arrogant son of a-"

"Jonouchi-kun!" I pleaded before he let out a string of expletives.

"Jealous?" Kaiba smirked and Otogi and Honda jumped behind Jonouchi, restraining him as he prepared to tackle the CEO. This was probably for the best, as Jonouchi would have inevitably failed miserably.

Honda, who was only slightly taller than Jonouchi, managed to pull him back away from Kaiba, and Otogi stepped between the two so that Jonouchi was effectively cut off from the rest of the conversation.

"So you got tickets Kaiba-kun? I didn't know you were interested in BLAST." I tried to bring the topic back to one that was fairly neutral.

"They were given to me by a supplier." Kaiba shrugged and I took this to mean that he'd forgotten about Jonouchi's insults and his general dislike of our company for now.

"So, how did you get tickets?" Bakura looked at all of us, rather surprised that we had such a large group.

"Well, it's a bit of a story." I reached my arm around behind my head, a little unsure if Kaiba wanted to hear the whole thing. He didn't seem to react one way or the other so I continued. Bakura, of course, looked interested, and I don't think he realized just how effective his innocent gaze could be sometimes.

"One of Ji-chan's (4) friends had bought the tickets a long time ago, but they had to cancel at the last minute because a few in their group got sick. So Ji-chan bought the tickets off them and sold them back to us."

"For a profit!" Mai spoke out, looking a little annoyed. "Really, you'd think he'd at least cut us a deal." Bakura laughed and I looked up at him puzzled.

_Does Bakura seem a bit …different to you?_

_I'd been wondering about that too, _my other self answered, hesitantly.

"So, don't you normally have work or something to do? Why are you here anyway?" Mai crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Kaiba, not in the least intimidated by his glare. I had to hand it to Mai, not very many people managed to make her feel unsure of herself.

"Let's go, Bakura," was Kaiba's only reply. Mai sighed and I could understand her frustration. Jonouchi was putting up quite a struggle behind us as the two started to turn away, and I vaguely heard him threaten Kaiba to get back before he came after him.

Kaiba ignored him entirely and pulled Bakura back towards the door. I could hear Bakura protest slightly, "But what about the lines?"

"What lines?" Kaiba responded, confident as always. I saw Bakura turn around and wave as he disappeared into the crowd.

"That bastard, pulling Bakura like that when he's injured! And what's with Bakura abandoning us in the cold and snow!" Honda had finally released Jonouchi and he was bursting with pent up anger.

"He didn't grab his right arm, you idiot." Mai swatted him over the head and Jonouchi just barely ducked in time, making a face at his girlfriend, childishly.

Fortunately the doors opened just then and we all busied ourselves pushing our way into the concert hall. Our group was near the front of the line so we managed to get ourselves relatively close to the stage.

"Sweet!" Jonouchi yelled, excited now that things were about to begin. He had completely forgotten about Kaiba and Bakura.

"I have to admit, this is pretty cool." Honda replied, calmer than his friend.

I smiled at both of them, and then felt a familiar surge of power as my other self left his soul room and formed his own, separate body next to me. We were all quickly squished together as the crowds continued to pour into the hall. One good thing about my other's ability to alternate between this world and his soul room was that we never needed to buy two tickets for the both of us.

At first I'd felt guilty, but Mou Hitori no Boku assured me that most tickets were highly overpriced anyway, and nobody would be losing a major profit. Not that he knew that much about economics, but I couldn't argue, he would do as he pleased in this matter. His power over the forces connecting us was much stronger than my own.

Once it seemed that all the pushing and shoving was done I saw Jonouchi and Mai making their way closer to the stage, and each other. Honda and Shizuka seemed to have a similar idea, although they were moving farther away from the stage, and I'd entirely lost track of Otogi in the process of filing into the hall.

"Aibou." My other self's arms wrapped protectively around my waist from behind and I settled back against his chest, tilting my head back to grin up at him. But before he could lean down further we found ourselves facing a group of girls, each of them staring straight at us.

"I see we have some fans," Mou Hitori no Boku commented. "What is it that you lovely ladies want?" I could tell from their faces that he was smiling at them suggestivly. Somehow my other self had become flirtatious in the past few years. I think he liked to do it just to tease me.

The girls giggled in response, and a few of the shyer ones blushed madly. "Oh, no, we're fine. We were just wondering…well, are you two twins?" The girl who had been speaking looked at us with a sparkly expression in her eyes and I sighed mentally.

She'd obviously been watching too much Ouran High School Host Club.

"No…?" My other pretended to be confused, as he pulled me in tighter and settled his chin on my head. The girl who had spoken stared wide eyed for a moment before the other girls dragged her off giggling.

"Come _on_, Namiko, they're about to start!" The group moved off and I felt my other self relax behind me.

"You're always better at handling that type." I twisted my fingers through his and smiled again.

"That's because you get embarrassed and start mumbling." He looked back down at me, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "But then again, I love it when you blush like that." I was currently blushing.

To hide this I tilted my head to the side and let him kiss the sensitive part of my neck – the small spot right beneath my ear.

I felt his fingers tighten around mine and he moved his lips slowly along my jaw and then gradually to my lips, releasing his hold a bit so I could turn myself slightly towards him.

The stage lights had come up and all the other lights were off, making it impossible to see anyone in the shadowy darkness around us. I could only barely make out my other's form as I twisted around fully and let myself feel the entire length of his body against my own.

Our hands were still twisted together, and I let myself pull back and rest my forehead on his shoulder, sensing his life pulse beneath my ear rather than actually feeling it. In some ways this form was still not quite solid all the way through. But I could still feel the warm press of his lips on my hands and the smooth pressure of his thigh against mine. This was enough.

"Aibou…" He whispered softly into my ear before leaning in to kiss me again, this time pushing into me further with his tongue. We would, of course, listen to the music and enjoy the concert. But for now, with the lights dim and no one to see us, despite the crowd, we let ourselves get lost in each other.

.--Bakura--.

The tickets Kaiba had received let us through the front doors before they were actually opened, and we were shown to a smaller side door once we were inside. This side door led up a staircase to a u-shaped balcony that extended a good seven meters out over the rest of the crowd below.

The balcony was made only of metal, with a criss-crossed floor and a railing encircling the projection. But I could see reinforcements securing the floor to the wall and the ground, so I wasn't too nervous when we stepped out and made our way to the edge.

I looked out over the railing, noting that though we were far above the crowds of people on the main floor, we were still very close to the stage. Kaiba was leaning against the railing, his elbow relaxed on the thin metal beam, supporting the rest of his upper body in a slightly forward slant.

I made a mental note to thank Otogi for his advice this morning as I looked around at the rest of the guests on this level. I noticed that most of the women were wearing cocktail length dresses, either silky or covered in sequins to dazzle the light into a million reflections around them.

The guys were all in suits or collared shirts, and I was glad that I'd managed to find something suitable without standing out. For once, Otogi's insistence on looking fashionable had paid off.

Suddenly, all the house lights fell to black and a murky blue light flooded the stage. It reminded me of the view of a swimming pool from underwater, before the chlorine blurs your vision or someone breaks the surface with a dive.

The shadowy forms of the band flowed over the stage as the members walked across. The crowd grew quiet and anxious, then in a burst of light the guitarist began to fill the hall with music soon joined by the bass and drums. And then the young woman in front, Nana I think was her name, added her voice to the mix.

"_When I was darkness at that time,  
__Fueteru kuchibiru.  
__Heya no katasumi de  
__I cry…"_ (5)

Her powerful voice spilled out in waves over the audience, drowning them in the ecstasy of an adrenaline rush, powered by the music and the crowds and our own emotions. The bright lights of the stage throbbed with the music and the vibrations of the air itself that shook the room.

I could feel my pulse quicken and match the beat of the music as the excitement of the crowd below mounted and fans began to scream, their shouts drowned out by the overwhelming music.

Nana's presence was dramatic. She not only filled the stage but the entire hall, and all eyes watched her with rapt attention as she gripped the microphone in both hands and poured her voice out over the sea of people.

I pulled myself out for one moment to look over at Kaiba, who was very close beside me, because even the VIP balcony was crowded as the guests all pushed their way to the railing to see the band. His eyes were focused intensely on the stage, the lights reflecting softly in his eyes and over his face.

He was frowning intently, and I wondered if he was enjoying the concert as much as I was. As I thought this his eyes turned and looked into my own. The intensity of his gaze remained, though the frown had disappeared and I saw his mouth turn upwards slightly.

"You look nice."

My heartbeat raced past the rhythm of the song and I had to turn away from his gaze, which was so close to my own from the proximity of our bodies in the crowded room. I didn't answer, or at least he didn't hear my mumbled thanks.

_"...your smile, your eyes, and  
__sing me, just for me  
__I wanna need your love…"_

The music continued to ebb and flow through my body for the duration of the concert. And while I never looked back at Kaiba, I sometimes felt his eyes on me, and I always felt the pressure of his elbow against my own.

Eventually all sensations died away, and I lost myself to the music entirely. But by this point the concert was almost over, and once it had ended, I found that I was still riveted to my spot, unable to escape the tide of emotions the music left in its wake.

Both Kaiba and I stood there for some time as the crowds shuffled out of the hall. And when we left, there were only a few groups that had stayed behind – other stragglers waiting for the rush to die before they headed back home.

We ended up walking to the station in silence. Neither of us felt like talking; at least I didn't. I had nothing to say after that emotional rush. The whole experience had left me at once drained and filled.

"What do you mean the train is closed down?" I looked up, startled, as Kaiba spoke harshly to the woman at the counter of the train station.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. But the only train that runs from here to Osaka at this time of night has been shut down due to hazardous weather a little way south." Kaiba was beginning to look very irritated at this woman's offhanded way of dealing with him. She didn't really seem that sorry, but I could tell she was just as frustrated with Kaiba's persistence as he was with her disinterest.

"Um..." I interjected before either could say another word. They both turned their glares on me and I blushed, realizing how stupid the noise had been. Kaiba's frown softened slightly as I continued. "That is…" I fumbled for the words. "When will the train be leaving, do you think?"

I looked at the woman, hoping that she would be more helpful this time, for all our sakes. She, too, seemed to soften a little as I looked at her.

"I'm sorry, but it probably won't be until after the regular trains start up again, at six. There's a nice café around the corner and down the street a bit. They have a bar, too." She pointed out the corner she meant and I thanked her kindly as we walked away in the direction of the café.

Looking down at my watch I saw that it was only about one-o'clock in the morning. That gave us five hours before the trains would start up, and I already felt my eyelids drooping with sleep.

"I guess we'll have to wait." I said to the stillness of the night, and to Kaiba if he was listening.

"Hn." He replied, and we continued down the sidewalk. I started counting the cracks in the pavement as we walked along in silence. The woman was right, the café was nice, and there were few people inside at this time, as the bar would be closed soon.

Kaiba sat down at one of the high circular tables near the window and I pulled myself up into the seat across from him, looking blankly out into the night. Just then I heard my cell phone beep inside my pocket and I flipped it out, dialing the answering machine.

"Oi, Bakura-kun! How'd you like the concert? I thought it was fantastic! I ended up meeting some old friends, so I hung with them most of the evening. Unfortunately we all had to leave at intermission because Shizuka-chan needed to be home before the trains closed. Hope you and Kaiba make it home alright, I didn't see you leave…

Anyways, stay safe, hope you had fun. You looked good, by the way. I must be rubbing off on you! Ja ne!" (6)

I erased the message and folded my cell phone closed, slipping it back into my pocket as a waiter came over and asked what we'd like.

"I'll have a soda water," I answered. Kaiba said he was fine and the waiter left us alone.

The silence threatened to stretch into eternity until Kaiba broke it rather abruptly. "You didn't want something else? I'll pay." I looked over at Kaiba and shrugged, resting my chin on my hand, propping my elbow on the table.

"You never like to inconvenience anyone, do you? Haven't you ever misbehaved?" Kaiba was looking at me again, and I returned the gaze, my tired mind waking up a little with the conversation.

"You have to tell me a story first." I said. It seemed silly after I asked it, but my brain wasn't quite functioning at the moment. All I could think was that I wanted to see the Kaiba I'd seen on the train again.

"No, I asked first."

I sighed and tried to think back to the few times I'd gotten in trouble.

"Well, back before I started living alone, my sister and I were playing hide and seek. She hid so well I couldn't find her and I spent the whole day looking. When otousan returned home I was terrified, so I didn't tell him that I had lost her. I lied and said she was upstairs sleeping. It wasn't until that evening, when we were cooking dinner that I found her in one of the small cupboards under the counter.

My parents were furious that I'd left her there, though I had no idea where she'd hidden. She had been crying the whole time, waiting for someone to find her. But she didn't blame me…"

"I didn't know you had a sister."

I looked away from Kaiba's face and down at the table instead. "I did. She's dead now. Her and okasan died in a car accident some time ago."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"I'm fine." I replied, automatically. Then it struck me that this was absurd. "No, never mind. I'm not fine. But it's not like I can do anything except remember how much I loved her." I looked back up to see that this time it was Kaiba looking away.

"I did that too, when I was studying under Gozaburo. I thought of Mokuba and how important he was to me. This made it that much easier, it became my justification for studying so hard."

"Here's your soda water." The bartender interrupted, placing my drink in front of me. I took a few sips, feeling slightly better now that I was no longer so thirsty.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like something else?" Kaiba asked, his attention still focused on the window.

"No thanks, I don't drink coffee, and I don't handle alcohol very well, either."

"What do you mean?" Kaiba's eyes met my own, and I noticed that every time this happened I felt my cheeks tingle slightly with a rush of blood. It had been happening quite a lot today. I had been used to talking at Kaiba, instead of with him.

"Well, I get… silly. Jonouchi-kun and Otogi-kun like to get me tipsy at our parties. They find it hilarious. Once they conned me into laying upside down over the couch and yelling 'I'm upside down, can I see the Atlantic?' in English over the phone to Yugi's grandpa. He's never let me forget that. If I do drink I usually mix in some juice or pop."

"You're being a hypocrite, then." I looked at Kaiba confused and felt the blush rush into my cheeks. "You may not be a work-aholic like me, but you're just as cautious with your emotions. I'm not the only one you should be telling to loosen up."

"I – I don't hide my emotions…"

"You know I'm right." He stopped me. I pouted a little as he leaned back, satisfied with his victory.

"Look, nobody's perfect." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'd never seen you act like you did on the train or when you described your essay topic. But you're always like that, aren't you? You just don't let it out." I watched as he shifted his arms slightly and tensed his shoulders.

"Actually, it's like you distance yourself from your emotions, instead of consciously concealing them. But having emotions isn't so bad, is it? It's okay to be alive."

"Kaiba-kun." I felt my stomach twist. _It's okay, I'm alive…_

"I'm not saying I've got things figured out, either. I purposefully hide what I feel, it's just part of my job. But sometimes that's an excuse. I don't like letting people get close to me because I know I'm not easy to get along with."

If Kaiba had said this even twelve hours ago, I might have fallen off the chair in shock. But this is exactly what I had been noticing recently, and Kaiba had seemed to be opening up today, so it didn't seem as odd that he would share this.

"I think you just need to find the right person, Kaiba-kun. I know you're not a bad person, just imperfect like the rest of us." He shrugged and I continued, letting my sleep deprived brain take over. "I used to feel that way when the spirit in my sennen ring would take over my mind. I didn't want anyone getting close. But Yugi and the others fixed that… I know you don't really believe in all that stuff with the sennen items –"

"It's hard not to believe." Kaiba frowned slightly. "Not when there are two Yugi's making out in front of you."

I blinked. "When did _that_ happen."

"I'd rather not think about it."

"Understandable."

"I don't disbelieve it. I just don't care. I make my own destiny."

I wished, as he spoke, that I could be that confident. But just like I'd written in my paper, people had lost the ability to use language to its full potential. I was one of them. I couldn't express myself like I wanted just yet.

We were asked to leave a few minutes later. As we exited the waiter turned the sign around so it said "closed", and we both made our way, slowly, back to the station. By the time we arrived it was only 2:30. We still had three and half hours before the train would arrive.

This time I found it impossible to keep my eyes open for longer than thirty seconds at a time. We sat down on a bench near the platform where we could see the tracks in the distance that led to and from the area where they stored the cars.

As we settled down I noted happily that the bench was rather small. This forced us to sit close together. This would normally have been uncomfortable for me except that I was now cold as well as tired and it was nice to have two sides of me blocked from the wind.

As my eyes blinked a few times to dispel the sleepiness gathering there, I realized that snow had begun to fall again. The puffy white flakes were coming down in voluminous swirls, slowly spiraling their way down to the ground where they settled into a fluffy mass.

Before I could react, my eyes had closed, and I was listening to the sound of the wind as it billowed the snowflakes about boisterously. Then slowly even this noise faded, and I was entirely unaware of my surroundings.

.------.

Notes…

(1) Good morning

(2) The shinkansen is the system of bullet trains in Japan. As for Bakura's comment on green seating later on, green seats are ones reserved for people who have bought them. They are more expensive than regular seating, where it's first come first serve, but they are nicer. It's like first class on an airplane.

(3) teme is a rude form of "you". It translates better into "Kaiba you bastard."

(4) How Yugi calls his grandpa in Japanese.

(5) Broken Rose, from the Nana inspired band/anime. The lyrics I quote translate as follows...

_When I was darkness at that time,  
My weakness lay in shimmering lips.  
In the corner of a room_  
_I cry..._

(6) Informal way of saying goodbye

-

See what I mean, all the chapters end with Bakura sleeping. Jeez, hopefully the next time I can rewrite the ending to avoid that. This time it was sort of necessary, though.

Otogi: I am so not gay!

SC: o.o

Otogi: Eh?

SC: O.o

Otogi: Stop that…

SC: O.O

Otogi: Okay! Fine! I'm gay!

SC: O.O

Otogi: …help me…

SC: I have nothing more to say.

--SC


	4. Paradox

_Disclaimer: To write or not to write, that is the question. Whether 't is nobler of the authoress to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous copyrights, or to take arms against a sea of lawyers, and by opposing be sued…_

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

Yes, I did indeed just parody Hamlet. I know, I'm lame.

Otogi: Oh, so using AP English vocab for chapter titles wasn't lame enough?

SC: …

Otogi: And using an extended metaphor in the last chapter.

SC: …

Otogi: And having everything tie back to the central theme of Bakura's ESSAY!

SC: Okay, so AP English took over my life when I outlined this fic! Not my fault, darn stupid AP tests. I think I dreamt in figurative language -.-;;;

Otogi: And you call quoting Hamlet pathetic…

SC: Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him-

Otogi: What?

SC: Never mind.

Arigatou, Jessy-chan. I must find more creative ways to thank you. Although, I think I used up all my ideas trying to find different disclaimers for every chapter…

-

Sweet Revenge 666: Well, I can't tell you why your review made me so happy. It just did. Sorry, I'm not making fun of you, I just had to parody your review, I love doing that. In all seriousness I really was super happy to see that you reviewed. I must have a thing with cursed users though (notice my reviewers for this chapter both end their usernames with 666...O.o). Anyways, I'm glad you are enjoying this story, we're getting to the good stuff now!

FlyingShadow666: Thanks for the vote of confidence. I agree, it's silly not to review stories you like, but I don't feel like begging people either. I suppose I could threaten to withold updates till I got reviews, but that would be immature. So big big BIG THANKS to you for reviewing every chapter thus far. You deserve a prize...hmmmm... any ideas?

-

**Paradox**

n. A statement that contains or implies it's own contradiction; someone or something with apparently contradictory or inconsistent qualities.

.--Kaiba--.

You looked so peaceful as you slept there beside me. I don't think you meant to fall asleep; it certainly didn't seem to be the most comfortable place either way. However, you still managed.

Your head was tilted forward, and a small dusting of snow had gathered on your shoulders. I was so tempted to brush the small patch of white away, but I couldn't bring myself to disturb you. Your hair that matched the falling snow fell forwards and brushed against your face, gently caressing your cheeks.

I wondered, is this how you felt when you found me last night, sleeping at my desk.

I hadn't heard you approach, but I'd woken slightly when the light of the computer and the lamp disappeared. When I opened my eyes you were walking away, just a shadow amidst a room of shadows.

I didn't have the energy to call out, or to thank you. Instead I just went back to sleep. When I woke up my neck was stiff and my legs had run out of circulation. I had stood up and gone to the window to allow the blood flow back into them.

You startled me, like you said. It didn't strike me as odd that you managed to appear so suddenly. You tried so often to blend in, as if standing out were the worst thing in the world to you. But then, you didn't seem to always be like that.

You and Megan had gotten along well. And when you were talking about your essay, you didn't seem to mind voicing your opinion at all. How is it that you can be so contradictory? At times you make yourself unnoticeable, but then, how can anyone help but notice you?

I can't.

I could hear the train pulling up to the station, though you didn't seem to. It pulled up slowly, and the lights in each car flicked on with a harsh fluorescent glow. I still didn't want to wake you up, but the doors were opening and we'd already been waiting for three and a half hours.

"Bakura, the train is here." I stood up and placed my hand on your shoulder.

"Na-nani?" You looked up and gave a small yawn before pushing yourself off the bench to your feet. "Gomen."

We both entered the train and headed back to our seats. The car was entirely empty, which didn't surprise me at this time of the morning. I could tell you were still barley awake as you slid into the seat and dropped your bag onto the floor. I picked it up for you and stowed it with my briefcase, but I couldn't tell if you noticed.

As I sat down I saw that you'd fallen back asleep. But much to my surprise, instead of leaning forward you leant sideways, tucking your head onto my shoulder and letting your side fall against my arm.

You were obviously unaware that you did this. Your breathing was calm and shallow; I could feel the slight shift in your body as you drew in a longer breath, releasing it with a sigh. It felt a little awkward, the way your weight pushed against me. I shifted so that you were leaning more against the upper corner of my chest instead of my shoulder, careful not to jostle your injured arm.

Your hand rested gently on the seat, palm upwards, cupped slightly. Somehow, with the soft cushions of your fingers exposed, you seemed so helpless.

Almost impulsively I traced your palm with my fingers, brushing them up your palm, over your fingers, and resting on the tips. For a brief moment I let my hand linger over yours, then I felt your fingers twitch slightly and I pulled my hand away, laying it down close to – but not touching – yours.

I wanted to protect you, from the world and from that lonely place in your mind you retreated to so often.

This was about the best I could do for now, I hoped you understood.

There were a lot of things I hoped you understood right now... And a lot of things I couldn't do.

.--Bakura--.

My first thoughts as my brain drifted into semi-consciousness were that I had, yet again, failed to get a good night's sleep.

My second thoughts were that I was surprisingly comfortable for having fallen asleep in my seat, and I was tempted to go back to sleep.

Then I noticed why I was comfortable, and all these thoughts left my head. In my sleep I had managed to practically drape myself over Kaiba. Not only was my head tucked into his chest, against his collarbone, but my whole side was pressed against his arm. I nearly jerked away and yelped an apology until I realized that he, too, was asleep.

In fact, he was leaning against me almost as much as I was leaning against him. His head was resting on top of mine, and his body seemed as relaxed with sleep as mine had just been. So, instead of waking him, I remained still and attempted to ignore the feeling of his warm body against my own.

This became difficult though as his breath ruffed my hair, and as the whole side of my hand began to tingle where our hands just barely touched on the small space of bench between us.

I looked down at his hand, tracing the long fingers with my eyes, wondering what I should do now. Or better yet, what I should do when Kaiba woke up.

Sunlight soon began to pour through the window, blanketing my right side in a shower of light and warmth. For some reason, with the sun on my right, and Kaiba on my left, I felt protected.

I held my wrist up to my face and looked at my watch in the increasing morning light. It was only 7:56 am; we still had half an hour or so before we reached Osaka.

I realized that this was the second time I'd seen Kaiba sleeping, but this time the view was obscured by my bangs, ghostly white in the pale morning sun. However, my head fit nicely on his shoulder, I thought fuzzily. Can one think fuzzily? I certainly couldn't describe my thought process any other way. It was blurry and fluffy and all things indistinctly soft.

Just then Kaiba shifted slightly, and I slowly leaned away from him, resting my head on the window. As he woke up I couldn't stop myself from glancing at him from the corner of my eye and thinking how cute he looked with his hair all messed up. Then as I began to wake up fully, my mind came into focus. I blushed and looked away.

There was silence for a few seconds, and then I heard Kaiba sit up in his seat and grumble as he looked down at his watch.

"Do you have to work today?" I asked, half in an attempt to end an awkward silence before it happened, and half hoping for an answer I knew I wouldn't likely get.

"All my employees were given the next three days off, so I'm going to take advantage of the peace and quiet and get caught up on some work."

I sighed and continued to look out the window, not wanting to see the familiar, cold expression on Kaiba's face. I knew, somehow, that it would be there, and that the Kaiba from yesterday had disappeared.

I was sort of sad.

As we pulled into the station Kaiba stood up immediately and pulled down our bags from the overhead compartment. I slipped my backpack over my left arm and when I looked back up Kaiba was offering his hand.

His face was expressionless, and I looked down at his hand stupidly for a few seconds before taking it and letting him help pull me out of the seat.

We were met with a blast of freezing air as we stepped off the train into the Osaka station. I was shocked by the frigid wind, and before I could find a warm place inside me to focus on and distract me from the cold I let a shiver course down my spine.

This sent a series of tremors along my body, and my teeth started chattering as well. I sucked in a breath of cold, winter air.

Suddenly I felt a weight on my shoulders. "The car should be out front."

Kaiba started for the exit, leaving me standing with his coat draped over me. It was too big for me, and rather heavy; but it was still held some of his warmth. I pulled the sleeves on under my backpack and raced off after him to catch up.

Baffled, now, I wondered which was the real Kaiba. The stone faced businessman who worked even on the day before Christmas Eve, or the person whose smile I'd just recently started to see and whose gaze made me self-conscious and self-confident both at once.

Maybe he was somewhere in between.

.--Otogi--.

"Ah, Bakura-kun, you look a lot better. How's your arm?" I leaned against the doorframe, blocking Bakura's entrance. He looked at me slightly annoyed and I grinned before stepping aside and letting him inside. I loved to annoy Bakura. It was about the only way I could get an expression out of him.

"Fine, I guess. It makes it really difficult to shower." He smiled slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "But hey, I can manage the bandages myself, so it's no big deal."

"You…" I looked at him, frowning for a second. There was something different about him. "Actually you look a lot better. What have you been doing?"

I couldn't quite place it, but something about Bakura seemed to have changed. Whether it was that his smile just seemed a bit bigger, or that he didn't seem to be lying about feeling okay.

"Well, I did get a good night – er – day's sleep. Kaiba-kun and I didn't get back from Tokyo till yesterday morning; we'd missed the last train. But I slept most of yesterday. Plus Megan-san came over with dinner. Kaiba-kun was at work again, so she ended up staying over for a while. She's really nice. Anyway, then I managed to fall asleep by ten, so I finally got a decent sleep."

I blinked, shocked to hear so many words come out of Bakura without a pause or further prodding needed.

"Ah, yeah…That's so like Megan. You… You really look a lot better, Bakura."

He just looked up at me confused, and I shook my head. "I guess I was just a little rattled after the accident. But this is good, you seem to be doing fine." I attempted my normal, carefree grin, then looked at the clock. "We should get started."

I headed off through the door, looking back to make sure Bakura was following. It was the way he was moving, too. It wasn't that Bakura was stiff or clumsy before, but there used to be hesitancy in his movements that I just didn't see now. He was comfortable, albeit a little careful of his arm. His shoulders weren't drawn in, and his hands weren't folded over his arms protectively.

"All the boxes are out in my car. You don't have to lift any of the larger ones. Honda-kun will be over soon to help me with those." I turned around and pointed my finger in his face.

"I know you want to help me, but you'd better not hurt yourself again. Just take the small boxes, okay!" He nodded, rolling his eyes, and I felt better.

This good mood left the instant I looked at my car.

I hate cardboard. I especially hate cardboard boxes. Why do I hate them so much? Because they're cardboard! Isn't that a good enough reason? I mean besides the fact that every single thing I have attempted to do with the boxes has managed to backfire on me.

First I had to set up the boxes, which were delivered flat with "easy to fold" sides. Like hell they were easy to fold! I spent a good hour trying to tape the stupid things together. And the whole business of packaging tape was a hassle in and of itself. It stuck to everything! Except the cardboard, of course.

Well after fighting with that for longer than I would care to think about I finally started packing my stuff. Then, what do you know, the cardboard broke! Well, broke wouldn't be the right word. But the sharp end of a book ended up piercing the surface, leaving me with a dangerously pointed book corner just waiting to pounce.

It pounced, and I have a nice scratch on my arm to thank for that. My poor arm…

It was probably my world history book, too. That one always hated me.

Well then, after all this was _finally_ over, I loaded everything into my car. Only then did I realize just how messy cardboard was. There were little shavings of cardboard dust all over my room!

And the worst part was they stuck themselves into the carpeting so stubbornly that I couldn't vacuum them up. By that time I had declared an all out war on the cardboard. It was my mortal enemy! And whether it liked it or not, I would get the sneaky little devil out of my carpet.

This…did not happen.

The next tenants will have to wage their own battle against the cardboard. In the mean time, I was busy glaring at the boxes in my car. And believe me, they were glaring back. They may have won the carpet battle, but I would win the war. Let's see how well cardboard stands up to a lighter and a trashcan!

I couldn't help but grin evilly. Oh, it would burn, and then…

"Otogi-kun, are you having a staring contest … with the box?" Bakura was behind me with an incredulous expression on his face. I turned my glare to him

"Of course not!" I yelled defensively then started pouting as I closed my eyes and grabbed the nearest box. Of course, closing my eyes wasn't a good idea, because the ninja-book decided to attack me then at that moment and I yelped as it dug into my inner elbow.

Bakura shook his head, familiar with these bouts of randomness.

I grabbed a larger box from the back seat – one without hidden ninja books – and started to haul it up the stairs to my new apartment. I let the box drop at my feet once I reached the top of the stairs. It had been heavier than I thought it would be.

"Yeesh, what is in here anyway?" I opened the box and looked down at a stack of files that threatened to explode out of their manila folders. "I have too much paperwork…"

"Otogi-kun, where do you want this?" I looked back and saw Bakura with one arm under a small box.

"Over there is fine." I pointed at an empty corner near the hallway. "Man, I'm too tired to do this. Where is Honda?" I sat down and stretched my arms behind my head.

"We just started, Otogi-kun!" Bakura was looking at me, exasperated. I grinned, knowing that he never could argue with that. "Whatever."

I watched him as he went down the stairs back to the car. For some reason, the way he said that reminded me of Kaiba. And I began to wonder just how much that guy was rubbing off on him.

When I'd gone over there before the concert I'd been surprised at how Kaiba was acting. Granted, he was still being his arrogant old self. But the permanent scowl we'd all become familiar with was gone. He'd actually almost smiled when he looked over at Bakura!

Kaiba smiling… My brain couldn't handle that. Smirking, yes. Sneering, yes. Smiling, no. But it had been there, a very, very small one. Sort of like the ones Bakura gave.

But now that I was paying more attention, Bakura was different too. Besides the openness in his expressions and conversation, he just seemed to be standing differently. A little taller, perhaps, not looking down at the sidewalk or off in the distance.

I pushed myself up, intending to confront him, but before I could get out the door I saw Honda pushing a rather large box up the stairs, growling with exertion. "What the hell is in this, Otogi!"

I just stood there looking as relaxed as possible while he pushed the box slowly up to the landing. I even stretched my arms and added a yawn for good measure. This sent him into a twitching fit that I found even more amusing than him struggling against the box.

It was nice to see someone else struggle against the box. "Why Honda-kun, that box was the lightest one!" I joked.

"Shut up!" He leaned against the wall, panting. "Just how much crap can one person have, anyway?"

"Idiot. Most of it is from my office. That's the main reason I bought this place. I was sick of being surrounded by my employees at the shop. So I'll be working from here, now."

"Whatever you say, Otogi." Honda shrugged.

"Oh, Honda-kun, when did you get here?" Bakura was walking through the door, awkwardly balancing a long, rectangular box.

"Hey, Bakura!" Honda looked behind him, and then turned to me glaring. "Otogi! What are you thinking, making Bakura help you carry boxes! He shouldn't be moving anything with his arm like that."

I glared back and walked a few steps towards him, threateningly. "I didn't make him do _anything_, Honda. Bakura asked if he could. I told him to carry the small boxes!"

Bakura laughed, and we both stopped to stare. "It's alright, guys. It's been almost a week since the fire, I really am feeling fine." We continued to stare. Then I started pushing Honda back down the stairs, away from Bakura.

"Let's go," I muttered, and Honda and I walked down to the car.

"Is it just me, or does he seem … different?"

"Bakura?"

"Yeah."

"I noticed that too."

"What do you think it is?" I looked back and Honda had his hand on his chin, looking thoughtful.

"No idea, don't hurt yourself thinking about it." He glared, and I grinned. But I was lying, I had an idea as to why Bakura was acting differently, and I wasn't quite sure that I was comfortable with it.

"You don't think it's Kaiba, do you?" Honda was surprisingly sharp, today.

"Maybe." I didn't really feel like talking about it, but this didn't stop Honda. He looked back to make sure Bakura wasn't behind us before continuing.

"They did go to the concert together, which was odd. But I just figured Kaiba got free tickets and Bakura tagged along. Heck, if I was offered VIP tickets I would too, even if it meant putting up with that guy for a few hours."

"Hn." I stopped answering as we got to the car, heaving the ninja-box into Honda's arms to silence him as well. Much to my annoyance, he didn't seem to be attacked at all. Why was it just me?

Twenty boxes later we managed to shove the last of the load into the room, and both Honda and I fell back onto the floor, panting.

"I … don't get it … Otogi … what could you … possibly need … twenty boxes for?"

"Shut … up." I replied, leaning against a wall and letting my arms fall limply to the side.

Bakura just sat down on top of said boxes and looked down at us. "Are you two okay?"

"We're fine." "I'm exhausted." We answered simultaneously.

"Hey! Don't tell Bakura that, he'll feel guilty!" I yelled.

"But I am, and you're the one who should feel guilty!" Honda replied. We glared at each other again, but neither of us had the energy to do anything else.

"It's not like I forced you to help me, Honda."

"Like you forced Bakura."

"Do you really think I'm that cruel?"

"Yep."

"Thanks," I muttered.

"No problem. So, how about some food?"

I continued to pout.

"We deserve food, Otogi!" Honda was standing now, looking ready to eat one of the cardboard boxes. And I'd thought only Jonouchi could look that starved. I guess I was wrong.

And despite how much I would have loved to see him consume those hateful contraptions…

"I don't have anything at the moment…"

"And I should get going." Bakura pulled out his cell phone and looked at the small, digital clock. "I wanted to finish my Christmas shopping today, plus I still have to work on an essay."

I sighed, "can't spare a moment for your best friend?"

"I'll give you a ride to the mall, Bakura." Honda walked to the door and grabbed his keys from the counter. They both ignored my question, and I pouted again. "It's on my way."

"Thanks." Bakura picked up his coat and I slowly got to my feet, not wanting to move but knowing I needed to.

"See you guys later, and thanks for your help. I guess we'll all be heading over to Yugi's tomorrow, right?" They nodded and I opened the door for them as they left. "Ok, bye!"

Bakura waved and Honda ignored me, as usual.

"Honda!" He looked back, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Don't go and bother Bakura about it, okay." He grinned evilly and I had a feeling that he had already planned on doing just that.

Bakura, of course, had no idea what "it" was, and just looked back, confused. "Ja ne!" (1) I shut the door and sighed. This new development was … interesting. I still didn't quite know how I felt about it.

Bakura and Kaiba. That would be an interesting relationship, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it could potentially be a disaster. I hoped I was wrong.

.--Bakura--.

"Soooo, Bakura, how did you enjoy the concert?" Honda asked as we both stepped into his car. It wasn't new, and far less luxurious than Kaiba's, but it was still nice. I'd only driven with Honda a few times, but of all our friends I felt safest when he drove.

"I loved it!" I replied, thinking back to that evening. "Their music was so great. And the lead singer is fantastic. I can see why the band has been getting so popular recently."

"Did Kaiba enjoy it as well?" Honda looked over at me, grinning mischievously.

"Ummm, I guess…" I replied, slightly confused by his impish tone.

"When did you two get back?"

"About nine yesterday morning."

"So late?"

"Yeah, the concert went a bit later, what with all the encores, so we missed the last train and had to wait for the station to open at six."

"I see. Is that really why you missed it?" I blinked, still not understanding his question. He almost seemed insinuating. When I looked over at him he had one eyebrow raised suspiciously.

"Uh, yes." I was blunt.

"Okaaay…"

"What are you thinking, Honda-kun?" I began to feel a slight blush spread over my cheeks as I realized just where his mind might be traveling.

"Nothing, nothing. Never mind. So, what did you two do in the mean time?"

I crossed my arms and frowned at him for a few seconds before responding. "Well, we went to a café for about an hour and a half, then we went back and I fell asleep on a bench."

"Then…"

"The train arrived."

"And then did anything happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"Between you and Kaiba." This time my face turned bright red and I stammered a bit before I could answer.

"N- no!" Honda sighed and rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the road.

"So basically nothing…"

"It wasn't nothing." I looked out the window. I'd been doing that a lot recently. Perhaps windows were just a convenient escape from reality. A way to see the world without actually being a part of it. But for some reason, this now struck me as depressing, and I turned back to Honda. He was smirking.

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, Bakura."

I didn't reply. It hadn't been nothing. It had been something. Wow, that wasn't vague at all. But I really didn't know the word for what had happened.

I had fallen asleep on Kaiba… But even before that, the "something" had been happening. It was the way we'd been able to talk on the train ride there, and Kaiba laughing, and how I felt when our eyes met, at the concert, and afterwards, and how safe I'd felt as I woke up. That wasn't "nothing". I knew that much.

What I didn't know was what this all meant. The way this new Kaiba made my heart race, my nerves sting, and my chest contract. The last time I felt like this had been when the spirit in my sennen ring had returned to take over my body one last time.

But back then it had been fear that I was experiencing. The anticipation of dying, again, and the horror of facing the shadowy depths of my soul.

But I wasn't afraid of Kaiba. Or rather, I wasn't afraid in the same way.

I was nervous, but I was also excited. I wanted to feel that way again. I wanted to see him smile, bigger this time. I wanted to know how his eyes would look when he did.

The answer to all this seemed to be just out of my grasp, and this frustrated me. I think I knew where this was going, but my mind didn't seem ready to accept that conclusion.

"Well, we're here. Do you need any help, Bakura?" I snapped back to reality as Honda began to speak and looked over, smiling.

"No, thanks. I'll see you tomorrow! Merry Christmas Eve!" And with that I dashed off down the street, lined with shops, without waiting for Honda to reply. I heard the car pull out and drive off.

I slowed down a bit to match the pace of the crowd around me, and looked to my right at the shop windows, wondering where I should stop first.

This part about shopping for presents always drove me insane. I was never able to think ahead of time about what I would get my friends. I had to browse the stores and wait for something to stand out before I could buy it. That, coupled with my insistence on buying thoughtful gifts, instead of the standard gift card or impersonal CD, made Christmas shopping very difficult.

I had already bought most of my presents a few weeks ago. But I had yet to buy Otogi a gift, and now Kaiba had been added to my list.

These two were the most difficult people of all. Otogi was such a unique personality that I never knew what he wanted. And Kaiba was the type of person who had everything, so what on earth could I get him?

This had been bugging me since yesterday, when I realized that today was Christmas Eve, and I absolutely needed to take care of this today.

Really, if it weren't for my compulsion to buy meaningful gifts, this would have been a lot easier. But I just wasn't like that. I got worried enough as it was, wondering if each person would like his or her present. It would be worse to know that they wouldn't like it, or that they would know I really hadn't put any thought into it.

So, in the end, I spent half an hour wandering down the street, in and out of stores, before I eventually wandered into a small card shop that had a few random gift ideas off to one corner.

"Bakura-kun!" I jumped as Megan popped out from behind a rack of cards, waving madly. "Hey! How are you doing? Long time no see, right? Just kidding. So, what are you doing here? I was just finishing up my Christmas shopping. I always seem to save the cards for last."

I smiled, letting her finish her thoughts before attempting to speak. I had grown used to her roundabout way of conversing. "I'm looking for some presents for my friends."

"Oh, so late? Do you need any help?" She had walked over to the register now, casually slipping the woman at the desk a credit card as she turned back to face me. Her grin was wide and genuine.

"Well, I could use some ideas. I was actually looking for presents to give to Kaiba-kun and Otogi-kun."

"Oh, I see. They would be a bit difficult to shop for, I guess." She grabbed the bag of cards she'd purchased and we walked out of the store, dodging a group of people as we exited.

"Well, Otogi-san has been rather stressed out recently. He could use something to calm him down." She looked up with one finger on her cheek, twirling one of her bangs, absently. I couldn't help but wonder if she'd picked up this habit from Otogi, or if she was just doing it now while she was thinking of him. "You dormed with him for a while, right? Was there anything he liked?"

I paused and thought about this for a second. "I can't think of anything specifically. Whenever he got frustrated he just sulked or tried to chew up his pillow… " Megan laughed as I said this, and I recalled the interesting image of Otogi sitting on the small, college student beds, with a pillow in his mouth. He had looked remarkably like a dog with its favorite chew toy, not that I ever told him that. He might have thought that description too close to Jonouchi.

"Wait! He did like to drink tea, now that I think about it." I suddenly recalled the one time he bought a huge canister of green tea and forced me to help him finish it once he decided that he'd bought too much.

Green tea had never been my favorite; I preferred sweeter teas with fruit flavors more. But Otogi had always had packets lying around. Like me, he refused to drink coffee. Come to think of it, I think Otogi hyped up on coffee would be terrifying.

For me. Not for him, or anyone else stronger than him. But for the poor, helpless me, who would likely have been victim to any of his coffee inspired schemes...

Yes, Otogi liked tea, and this was a good thing that I should encourage. "What type of tea should I get him?" I looked to my left and down a bit and the shorter girl. Megan was in her thinking pose again.

"Camille. It's good for relaxation, and I think Otogi-san would like it." We agreed on this and proceeded to look for the nearest grocery store. It felt a little strange buying someone a gift at a grocery store, but that was the only place we could find that sold tea. There didn't seem to be any specialty shops in the area, and neither of us owned a car or cared to spend money on a cab.

"Now for Kaiba-kun." Megan frowned and intensified her thinking pose. I almost laughed as I looked at her with her eyes searching the sky intently, her arms crossed, and her mouth twisted a little with concentration and effort.

She sighed, "I normally just get him a card and invite him to dinner." She looked a little upset, and I smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll think of something. It's hard, though. What do you get someone who has everything?" I looked up at the sky this time, noting how gray it had turned in the past hour or so. It had gotten colder, too.

"Everything? I don't think he has everything." She looked at me, smiling, and there was a strange spark in her eye that suggested she meant something else too. Unfortunately, I didn't catch that second meaning. "Heh, I don't understand why he comes over for dinner though. Really now, why should I, a mediocre cook, be making him Christmas dinner? He's a far better chef than I am."

"Kaiba cooks!" I was so surprised I forgot to attach an honorific.

"Yeah. I found out last Christmas Eve when he surprised me by inviting my family and me to dinner at his apartment. He cooked us dinner and dessert, and even had some nice wine to go with it. He said it was to repay me for all the meals I'd made for him. But I swear I haven't had anything that good in quite some time. He's amazing. It sure put my meals to shame. Bakura? Why do you seem so shocked?"

I had been staring at her wide-eyed for the duration of her story. I probably resembled a fish right now, with my mouth slightly agape and my facial expression looking appropriately insensible.

"I had no idea Kaiba-kun liked to cook." I blinked a few times as she started to laugh.

"Well why not?"

"I guess I never thought he'd have the time."

"You should ask him to cook for you, before you leave. Really, he's amazing." I blushed a little and turned my face to hide my expression.

"I couldn't." I mumbled to the ground.

"Why not?" She looked at me, her eyes scrutinizing my face despite my attempt to hide.

"Well, it would be such an inconvenience." I shrugged a little.

"I don't think he'd mind." She smirked, which confused me a bit. That spark was back in her eye.

"I just don't think I could ask him. It would be too weird." She sighed, but her moment of exasperation soon evaporated as she grabbed my arm and pointed to the corner.

"Look, a bookstore! Why don't you get Kaiba-kun a cookbook? I'm sure he'd like that!" I followed her arm until I saw the storefront.

"Okay." We headed inside and made our way back to the shelf marked "cooking". There were a lot of books on the shelf, which made it a bit difficult to decide which one to buy. A lot of them had to do with diets or organic cooking, so we were immediately able to knock those off the list. Eventually we narrowed it down to a few different books that specialized in certain cuisines.

"What do you think, Bakura? Italian, Japanese, or French?" I looked at the three books she held out in front of her and frowned a little as I thought about each one.

"Definitely not Japanese, Kaiba-kun hates Oden…" I blinked as Megan put the book back on the shelf, but decided not to enquire further.

"French, I think." She looked up at me as I said this and cocked her head to the side, causing her bangs to fall into her face. She managed to look cute, despite her age. Honestly it was hard to believe that she was old enough to be married and have a kid Mokuba's age. She acted so young.

"Why French?" She asked.

"I don't know, it just seems more… Kaiba-kun." I threw my hands up, "don't ask me why."

"I think you're correct." She handed me the book and we walked up to the counter to pay. While the man was busy wrapping the book in complimentary wrapping paper, I turned to Megan to thank her for her help.

"No problem, Bakura-kun. I enjoyed spending this time with you. Actually, I still have some spare time. Would you like to get something to eat or drink? My treat." She smiled up at me in such a way that I knew I couldn't possibly say no.

"Sure."

We ended up stopping at a small café near the bookstore. Our seats were right next to the window, and for a while we both sat in silence, watching people pass by. I had to admit, people watching was fun, and for once I didn't feel distant or depressed as I sat there sipping raspberry tea.

"You really do care for Kaiba-kun, don't you?" I coughed mid-swallow, choking down the hot liquid.

"What?"

She smiled, warmly this time, and let me catch my breath before answering. "I was just thinking about how much you wanted to get Kaiba-kun something he'd like, and it struck me that you really must care for him."

I blushed a little, and attempted to reply as nonchalant as I could. "I always try to get people gifts I think they'll like."

"Yes, I guess you are that kind of person. It's just, the way you talk about him. Like when you said that the book you got was so 'Kaiba-kun'. I wouldn't have thought of that myself, but when you mentioned it I knew you were right. You just seem to understand him."

I was silent for a few seconds. I didn't really know how to respond. I could only think back to the concert and my previous suspicions.

"Megan-san…"

"Megan, please. You're so polite, Bakura-kun, but we're friends, right?"

"Megan…kun," It just seemed too strange to say her name without adding an honorific, and she rolled her eyes but let me continue. "Do I … like Kaiba-kun?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean…" I knew I was blushing again, and I tried to sort my thoughts into something vaguely understandable. "Well, do I like him? It's just, you said I care about him. And it seems every time we're together I get this feeling, like my whole body goes ultra-sensitive. I've never even had a crush on someone before, so I don't exactly know if this is how it feels."

"Well I can't really tell you if you like him or not, that's for you to figure out." She looked at me knowingly, just then, and I took another sip of my drink. "But I think the signs are all there."

I rested my head on my hand and looked back out the window. "I'm just so confused."

"Don't be," she replied, and I looked back up. "There's nothing to be confused about. If you think you like him then you do. Just accept that. It doesn't mean you have to tell him in some heart racing confession of love, or that it has to become any mind-blowing issue. So you have a crush on Kaiba Seto, no big deal."

It seemed strange to have the words crush and Kaiba in the same sentence, especially when followed by "no big deal." But what she was saying made sense.

"Besides, I get the feeling he likes you too, Bakura-kun." I stared at her again, surprised. "Well, I have to go now. I'm meeting a group of friends for dinner, and I had planned on stopping to get some wine for the hostess. I'll see you around, okay?" She laid some cash down on the table and I stood up to follow her as she left.

"W-wait! What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Bakura-kun. I think it's cute." She grinned again, in that playful way that she'd been grinning all day, and I realized that this wasn't a recent realization to her. She'd known for a while. "Bye bye!"

She dashed off before I could comment further, and I sighed, turning away and walking back towards Kaiba's apartment. As I walked I tucked the presents away into a larger bag so that Kaiba wouldn't notice them as I walked in.

His apartment was relatively close to the street I'd been shopping on, and it only took me about fifteen minutes to walk back. I pulled out the spare key Kaiba had given me and unlocked the front gate. I had pushed the bell, but no one had answered over the intercom, so I assumed Kaiba was busy at the moment, or in the shower.

The elevator ride seemed to last forever, and it struck me that I was getting nervous. It's not like Kaiba would know what Megan and I had talked about, and I was fairly certain she wouldn't tell him. But I couldn't help but feel anxious. Would things be different? How would I feel around Kaiba, now that I was questioning whether or not I liked him?

And whether or not he liked me…

However, as I entered the apartment and set the presents down on the counter, I found myself completely alone. Kaiba's briefcase and coat were gone, which meant that he was still at work.

I looked at the clock on Kaiba's desk; it was six. I pulled out some leftovers, ate dinner, washed the plates, and looked again. It was now seven. My stomach continued to tie itself in knots, and I decided to take a shower to calm myself down.

I turned the hot water up and spent a long time letting the steam fill the room before I stepped out, taking my time drying myself off and running a brush through my hair. When I stepped out of the bathroom it was eight thirty, and I fell down on my bed frustrated.

Walking back out into the living room I saw the small light on the corner of my cell phone blink red a few times. Someone had called while I was in the shower. I ran over and dialed the voicemail, impatiently walking about as the automated voice asked for a password and led me through the process of checking my messages.

"Moshi moshi, Bakura-kun. It's Yugi. Just wanted to know how you're feeling. Don't worry about calling back if it's too late, I'll see you tomorrow."

I shut my cell phone without bothering to delete the message and sat down on the stool. My heart had sunk a little, and I looked once more at the clock. Eight forty seven, now.

I realized that if Kaiba wasn't home by now, that probably meant he wouldn't be arriving for some time. I looked at the present lying innocently on the counter and pushed the stool back to stand up and walk over to the couch.

Flopping down on the wide, comfortable cushions, I looked up at the ceiling and tried to stop the ache in my chest. It wasn't because I'd be spending Christmas Eve alone. After all, that had happened to me before, many times. Actually, it had only been the four years since I'd met Yugi-tachi (2) that I'd actually had something to do on Christmas. What hurt was that I had let myself hope, and now I was disappointed.

When it was just I, I knew that I would be alone. It was a matter of fact.

I rolled over on the couch and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to my chest. Why was I so upset? Did I really expect something to happen? I would be leaving for New York in two days, and after that I would be living with Otogi.

I would probably see very little of Kaiba after that. Maybe on campus, or in another class, but nothing more. What was the point?

The point was that Megan was right. I _had_ come to care for Kaiba, a lot. Somehow, in the past five days I had managed to fall head over heels for Kaiba Seto. But this seemed strange. Had I really fallen so much in just five days?

Then I realized that this wasn't the product of a few days. Unknown to me, this had begun months ago, when we started taking the CCS class together. Granted, I hadn't really liked him back then, but my feelings had started to change.

I had, in bits and pieces, seen another side of Kaiba. And these bits and pieces had intrigued me. But it wasn't until I'd started living with him that I fully realized how different this new side of Kaiba was.

It was a side that I felt like I was privileged to see; one that not everyone saw. It was certainly not something anyone among my friends had even considered.

Kaiba was caring, and even nice. Granted, his compliments were obscure, like when he said that Otogi couldn't have gotten this far if he couldn't control himself. He respected Otogi's abilities, though he didn't say this directly to his face.

But he had said I looked nice.

And then, he had saved my life. That was … still confusing. He obviously cared enough to risk his own life. But that had more implications than I cared to consider.

He had smiled, and he had laughed. He had opened up to me, even for that brief moment on the train. And he'd let me lean on him, although I didn't remember falling asleep on his shoulder. But surely he must have been aware of that. Or maybe not.

I had no idea what to think, and I found myself going over the past few days.

It hadn't been until the evening after I met Megan that I had really noticed my feelings. Up to then I had still been adjusting to the changes I'd seen in Kaiba. But after that everything began to make more sense. The reason I'd wanted him to come with me, and why I cared about his mental health.

And why I began to get nervous whenever he looked at me.

Now that I had realized what this all meant, it just seemed to plunge me further down. I thought about how tantalizingly close our hands had been on the train, and how incredible I felt when I looked into Kaiba's deep, blue eyes. But the more I thought, the stronger my chest ached.

I wondered, randomly, if this had to end. Did I have to live with Otogi? What if I continued to live here, with Kaiba? Would things change? Would he notice my feelings? Even return them…

But this wouldn't work, and I knew it. Kaiba had given no indication of wanting me to stay, and it would be rude of me to ask. I couldn't possibly intrude on Kaiba's personal life any longer. I was sure my presence was already becoming a nuisance. After all, he had chosen to stay at work this evening, instead of coming home.

Maybe I got in his way.

I stood up and walked over to the window. "I don't even know if he likes guys!" I exclaimed to the clear panel of glass, as if it could answer me.

I smiled then, and leaned my head against the window. But this wasn't as bad as I'd made it out to be. I had been able to see something in Kaiba that only a few other's had seen. This, in and of itself was important.

His eyes, they really were amazing. They were captivating. Like Nana's voice, I felt, as I looked into them, that I could drown. I held my breath and took a chance, diving down deep into those blue orbs, letting the emotions wash over me and cascade through me. Just imagining his eyes filled my whole body with a shivering, longing, pulling force.

And the faint trace of cologne, which I had noticed again as I woke up, comfortably cradled against his chest, had awakened that yearning. It spread up into my throat. I wanted to be surrounded by these traces of him, inside and out.

What would it be like to kiss him? I blushed as I thought about how soft his lips would be against my own, and how I might just let him push deeper into my mouth, until he had explored all the way back to my throat.

"Stop." I woke myself from my daydreams and repeated again to myself, "stop it."

This was … too much for me right now. I wouldn't get upset, or think about how soon this would end. For now, I would enjoy these feelings I had, and occasionally indulge in my musings. But right now, I needed to keep calm. I still needed to face him for two more days. And I couldn't do that if I had imagined what it would be like for his lips to explore my neck, and my chest, and other places farther along that yearned to be explored.

He had told me it's okay to be alive. I had been afraid for so long to believe this. These emotions threatened to send me over the edge. For so long I had pushed away all the strong feelings, hate and love alike. But now, it didn't seem so bad. Did he know how powerful those words were? They were just what I had needed.

I could find the courage to live, and to experience the chaos that came with being human, because someone had offered their hand and told me it's okay, I'm alive.

.------.

Notes…

(1) An informal way of saying good-bye

(2) By adding -tachi it basically means Yugi and the others

-

If you didn't catch it, the last paragraph was almost directly taken from the beginning of the first chapter where Bakura thinks about the view from a skyscraper. These paragraphs are what I believe to be largely the foundation for this relationship. At least on Bakura's side. But I won't go into my whole rant of why this couple works. I'll let my actual writings and the short ficlets I publish after this explain it. After all, what kind of authoress would I be if I couldn't make the whole point of my work clear without ending notes?

Bakura: I didn't fall asleep!

SC: Yeah, yay for me! And after this there should only be one or two chapters with that ending, if even…

Bakura: You did something right for once.

SC: -.-

Bakura: S-sorry.

SC: Somehow I just can't be mad at you. The break up fic will be so hard to write…

Seto: You said you wouldn't!

SC: He he, but the idea is so tantalizing…

Otogi: At least I'm not involved in all this too much…

SC: Oh, you just wait till I write that beach fic.

Otogi: That's just an excuse to get us all half naked and wet isn't it?

SC: Maybe… It's actually for one of my favorite couples, but I'll wait till I'm ready to publish that before I announce the whole plot.

Otogi: Great.

Seto: If you write the break up fic I'll sue you for misrepresentation.

SC: O.o

Done rambling.

--SC


	5. Logical Fallacy

_Disclaimer: No fingiré tener los derechos a la programa del television, Yu Gi Oh._

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

So my cat decided to lay across my lap when I was writing this, making it awfully difficult to type. However, the worst part is, halfway through the chapter she actually started to snore! I didn't think the chapter was that boring… but when I read through it again I became fed up with the whole middle section. So I rewrote it all, and the readers can thank mi gatita for not having to read ten pages of blah.

She's very pleased with herself.

She and Jessy must be teaming up… Well, at least my betas are honest. Thanks again, Beta-chan!

-

Ryuusui: I updated! Are you uber happy? I'm so glad you like Megan. Mary-sue's drive me insane, so it's nice to see that Megan isn't falling into that category. Oh, and don't worry about the break up fic. I could never keep Seto and Ryou apart for very long ;).

Bat-Fox: Heh, the ninja book was one of my more random ideas… I have a hard time writing Otogi's POV, which is why I haven't gotten around to writing my next fic which is Otogi-centric. I'm glad you're enjoying this story otherwise.

FlyingShadow666: You deserve a cookie. Thanks for another supportive review!

-

**Logical Fallacy**

n. A false idea or notion; a fallacious belief or argument.

.--Bakura--.

It wasn't too long before I fell asleep, despite the chaotic mess of thoughts swirling around in my head. I never heard Kaiba come in, but when I woke up the next morning I could hear him in the living room talking.

"Trust me, Kaiba-kun, it'll work. But really, how could you leave him …" I rubbed my eyes and slid out of bed, wondering whom the second voice belonged to.

Curiosity overcame the part of my mind that told me to go back to bed; that and the loud growl that erupted from my stomach. I looked down, realizing that I was still just wearing my pajamas, and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before heading towards the door.

"Megan this is very important, I –" As I opened it and went out into the living room the two voices went silent and I saw Megan standing by the door, Kaiba holding it open politely.

"Ohayou, Bakura-kun!" (1) Megan greeted me cheerily, stepping past Kaiba and walking towards me. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine," I attempted to reply. But my stomach decided to announce its own opinion rather vociferously, and I blushed a little as Megan laughed. "A little hungry I guess, sorry for interrupting your conversation."

"Well then, it's a good thing I brought some pancakes." She set a plate down on the counter with a soft thump and placed her hands on her hips with a satisfied nod. "Enjoy."

I went into the kitchen and grabbed myself a plate and a pair of chopsticks before pausing a moment and looking down at said utensils. It occurred to me that eating pancakes with chopsticks might be very difficult.

"Um…Kaiba-kun. Do you have a fork?" I looked up sheepishly, and he looked at me with one eyebrow raised before he realized what I meant. Without a word he stepped past me, pulled open a drawer, and placed a knife and fork onto my plate. I felt his hand brush slightly against my own and I looked up, but he had already returned to leaning against the wall, facing Megan.

"It seems the influx of food from your kitchen has greatly increased recently, Megan. Pretty soon Bakura will get tired of all these meals."

"Kaiba-kun, you may be able to skip meals as often as you please, but I certainly won't allow your guest to starve. And if my family isn't sick of my food by now, then I don't think Bakura-kun will be either. Besides, it's not like I'm just cooking American cuisine. I'll have you know I'm just as good at Italian as well. Plus, Bakura-kun is used to eating Japanese food, so this is a nice change, right? Now eat." She commanded.

"Arigatou, Itadakimasu." I sat down and began to cut the pancakes into bite-sized triangles before sliding the fork under them and bringing them to my mouth. I knew how to use a fork, but I just couldn't bring myself to stab my food as many people did. The impoliteness of such a gesture when using chopsticks carried over into my European mannerisms, although I had seen some of my Japanese friends do otherwise.

As I continued to eat I expected Kaiba and Megan to resume their previous conversation. But it seemed that they had either forgotten it, or for some reason wouldn't return to it in front of me. I felt a little guilty as an awkward silence filled the room.

"Well, I ought to go, now." Megan picked up her purse and headed for the door. I stood up quickly and she turned back. "Bakura?"

"I didn't get to thank you properly for helping me yesterday and for treating me at the café, so thank you very much, Megan-kun. And thanks for breakfast, too." I bowed slightly and when I looked back up I was surprised to find her blushing.

"Kaiba-kun, he's so polite!" She giggled a little, causing me to blush this time. "Bakura-kun, There's no need to be so effusive, I'm glad we've gotten to spend all this time together. You really are such a caring person." She winked at me, and the word brought back the memories of our conversation yesterday. I smiled and nodded at her. She knew all along what conclusion I would reach.

"Sayonara, Kaiba-kun. Bye bye, Bakura-kun!" Megan made a face at Kaiba as she left, but Kaiba closed the door before I could figure out what _that _meant. Megan really was an interesting personality.

I looked over at Kaiba-kun now, unable to hide a little of the redness that remained in my cheeks. My thoughts from last night returned to me, and I was forced to look away.

I had dreamt about him too, but thinking of that only made things worse. I'd never had a dream like that before; although I'd heard my other male friends talk about it a lot. Mainly Jonouchi and Honda, of course. But even Otogi teased me about it sometimes.

I couldn't help that, until now, I'd never liked someone this much. So I never understood what they were talking about. Not to say that I was naïve. I was certainly aware of the effects of hormones and what Jonouchi and Mai were really doing when they both said they were "busy". But till now I'd never had one of _those_ dreams.

I didn't quite know where the dream took place. All I could see was the pale outline of a window and Kaiba's magnificent, blue eyes. I felt myself being pulled down onto a bed, and soon I found myself pinned beneath him, his hands sliding gently under my shirt and undoing the zipper of my pants.

The rest was a blur of emotions and sensations that were tantalizingly real, yet left me feeling empty once I realized that this had only been a dream.

Thankfully I did my own laundry.

"Bakura…" I snapped back to reality and looked up to see Kaiba – the real Kaiba – standing awkwardly by the table. At first I wondered if I'd said something while I was daydreaming, but when I looked into his face it seemed like he was the one trying to speak.

It reminded me of how he'd looked before telling me about the concert tickets.

He hesitated when our gazes met, and then his face fell back behind an indifferent mask. "I'm going to go change."

"When did you get back last night?" My question worked, or at least he paused a moment in his retreat. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted to know what he was going to say.

"I just got back a few minutes ago." We were facing away from each other, and he didn't turn around, but I did.

"What! You can't seriously having been working all that time?" His shoulders tensed, and I felt bad for the harshness of the question.

"Why not?" His voice was accusing and flippant. It was as though he was, at once, saying "I can work whenever and however long I want," and more tentatively "there isn't really anything wrong with that, is there?" He was self-assured and uncertain in the same sentence, with just two words.

This is what getting to know Kaiba had done to me. I pretended to see a different side of Kaiba. I convinced myself that he didn't mean to be offhanded or dismissive. But was I right? Or was I just over thinking everything in an attempt to justify my own emotions?

Kaiba knows he's not easy to be around. But I wanted so badly to convince him otherwise. I wanted to tell him that the past few days had awakened emotions in me that I'd held back for so long. Whether it was his overwhelming self-assurance, or just the sense of safety I felt around him, I'd found the confidence to feel these powerful emotions without drowning in them.

I sighed and turned back to my breakfast. Unfortunately I still didn't have the confidence to tell him all this. Telling the person you care for that you like them takes more than that confidence. It takes a maniac and slightly suicidal insanity.

Hence the common understanding that love drives you crazy.

"I'll be leaving for New York in two days."

"You're going to New York?" Kaiba finally turned around. My pulse quickened as I looked at him. I'd heard that even the littlest things set you off when you first start liking someone, but this was a little much, I thought.

"Yes, Anzu has her first performance on Saturday, and we'll be spending New Years there."

"I can give you a ride to the airport, then, tomorrow."

"Oh, okay…" I hadn't expected him to offer, but it certainly beat paying for a cab or subway fare. "Otogi and I finished moving all his belongings into his new apartment yesterday." I paused as the implications of this statement sunk in for me. Today was my last day here. After this, I'd be living with Otogi.

Kaiba and I hadn't talked about my leaving at all. I guess now was the time. "So after I get back I can be out of your way."

"You were never in the way." Kaiba's response was so quick it startled me. He frowned slightly. "You could stay a few more days, if you wanted."

The earnest expression on his face made my heart leap into my throat. This is just what I'd wanted, right? An excuse to stay. And Kaiba wasn't the type to say things out of politeness; I knew he meant it.

But I had already made the plans with Otogi, and I also knew that even if Kaiba didn't care now, I would only be getting in the way. I'm sure he preferred to work at home, but with me here that would be more difficult.

"I'll think about it." That was all I could say for now. I didn't want to say no, but I couldn't say yes.

Kaiba walked over and picked up the empty plate from in front of me, carrying the dishes over to the counter before walking away into his bedroom. I sat and watched his motions, already forgetting to think about his offer.

.--Yugi--.

"Hey, Yugi, lemme help you with that." Jonouchi reached over to take the knife from my hands but I quickly pulled away.

"I'm fine, Jonouchi-kun." I sighed as Jonouchi continued to try to "help" me prepare dinner. "Why don't you go help Mou Hitori no Boku?" I suggested innocently.

"No, don't even think about it." My other self replied. He turned around and waved his wooden spoon menacingly. "Stop bothering Aibou."

"We're just trying to help," Honda added.

"Right, 'help', like last time where you nearly set the kitchen on fire?" Honda turned away, pouting. Since that incident neither Mou Hitori no Boku nor I would let Honda anywhere near the stove.

Jonouchi seemed similarly incapable of cooking, so we'd decided to include him in the list of people banned from our more dangerous kitchen appliances. Said list also included Mai and Otogi; Mai because she was Jonouchi's accomplice, and Otogi because Bakura had warned us about the edibility of his food.

And because Bakura never cooked, the only people allowed to use the kitchen in our apartment were Mou Hitori no Boku and myself, and occasionally Shizuka on the rare occasion that she came over to bake cookies for Honda and Jonouchi.

"Oh, Honda-kun, you went over to help Otogi-kun and Bakura-kun move into the apartment yesterday, right?

"Yeah, why?" Honda turned back around and looked at me with his arms crossed.

"How was Bakura-kun? I haven't seen him since Friday." An odd, put-out look came over Honda's face.

"Oh, Bakura's fine. He and Kaiba enjoyed the concert and went home, nothing else. I was hoping for some more information." I blinked, confused.

"Honda-kun, what are you talking about?" He looked at me and grinned mischievously.

"Bakura and Kaiba, of course. Didn't you find it odd that those two went to the concert together?"

"Not really. Kaiba-kun said he was given tickets. If he had an extra it would make sense for Bakura to go." Honda rolled his eyes and flopped himself over one of the tall chairs on the opposite side of the counter from me.

"You're just as boring as Bakura!" He groaned.

"Aibou, I think we should be worried for our friend." Mou Hitori no Boku spoke as he continued to stir the mixture heating on the stove. At first he had been very nervous around anything in the kitchen that involved flame or heat, which had been fairly amusing. For a while he wouldn't even let me cook. But then, after the incident with Honda, and a few days without warm food, he relented.

And after watching me from the safety of his soul room he gradually got used to how things worked. Although I still found it amusing to watch him cook. He was always so intent on it; he looked like he was dueling.

Once, when Honda and Jonouchi were out and we had one of our rare evenings alone together, I'd even convinced him to wear an apron. _That _had been hilarious.

Of course once he realized that I was laughing at him he took the thing off, but not before I got a picture on my cell. He'd tried to delete it, but that had only resulted in a wrestling match that ended with him pinning me to the floor and showering me with kisses.

By that point we'd entirely forgotten the picture.

Now I used it as blackmail, not that I needed to blackmail my other self very often. He often accused me of giving him the helpless-baby-animal-begging-for-food face. I preferred to call it my so-cute-nobody-can-resist-this-expression face. But helpless-baby-animal-begging-for-food worked.

"Seriously, you guys, don't you think things between Kaiba and Bakura are a little weird."

"What are you talking about, Honda?" I wondered if he'd noticed something too.

"Well, for one thing, he and Bakura sure seemed comfortable together when we met at the concert."

"Honda, how did you get that into your head?"

"Well, when I looked up at the balcony to see if I could find Bakura, I saw them looking at each other. Plus Bakura didn't seem to mind when Kaiba dragged him off."

"That bastard." Jonouchi mumbled under his breath. I could tell he didn't like this conversation.

"Well, They were probably just talking to each other, you couldn't have seen them very clearly anyways since they were up on the VIP level. And also, Bakura never puts up a fight when people drag him off, you and Jonouchi should know that." I looked at them reprimandingly, but this did not seem to affect them at all.

"Yeah, well, I saw what I saw, and I think those two have something. Despite how cold we all know Kaiba is. I think," he paused for dramatic effect. "They're friends!"

I resisted the urge to bang my head on the cutting board. Was Honda really that dense?

I looked over at Mou Hitori no Boku to see what he thought, but he just smirked and shrugged his shoulders. _Honda has a point, Bakura didn't look as tense as he usually does when he was with Kaiba. We noticed that ourselves. But I don't think friendship is the right word._

_You don't think they're dating, do you?_

_No. Bakura would have told us. I'd like to think that, anyway. But it's entirely possible that Bakura likes Kaiba; after all, this is Bakura. He would find a way to forgive the spirit of the sennen ring if the spirit showed any shred of humanity. Maybe Bakura's seen a side of Kaiba we haven't._

I couldn't help but feel worried at my other's words. If Bakura did like Kaiba, then there was a good chance his feelings were going to be hurt.

_What should we do?_

_We'll talk to Bakura tonight. But don't worry; I don't think this is as bad as you think it is._

_Why?_

_I just have a feeling. I've had a feeling since Kaiba offered to let Bakura stay with him. But I don't know what it means just yet. Let's wait and talk to Bakura._

_Okay._

When I turned back to the counter I saw that Honda and Jonouchi had started to argue again. "Bakura couldn't possibly want to become friends with that jerk! He-" We all paused as the door clicked open and a familiar head of white hair looked around the corner and waved at us.

"Hey, guys!" He blinked confused as we all stared at him silently. "Did I interrupt something?" We looked at each other and smiled uncomfortably.

"Jonouchi and Honda were just arguing." Mou Hitori no Boku's voice was calm, as though nothing was out of place at all, and this relaxed the rest of us.

"Again?" Bakura sighed as he walked in and set a large bag with bows peeking out of the top down by a table. "Well, I brought you all presents, but you can't open them till after New Years." (2)

"Thanks Bakura!" Honda walked over to him and wrapped his arm over his shoulder. Bakura looked a little uneasy but Honda just grinned and pulled him over to join the rest of us.

"Hey! Get away from that!" We all spun around to see Jonouchi reaching for one of the cookies sitting harmlessly on the cooling rack. Mou Hitori no Boku was glaring.

"Fine then," He twitched a little then went to stick his finger in the bowl with the remaining batter inside. "OUCH!" He yelped as Mou Hitori no Boku proceeded to smack his hand with the wooden spoon. "I was just going to try it!"

"Mou Hitori no Boku, let him taste some." I pleaded in an attempt to prevent an all out war.

"He's already 'tasted' half of it!" He gestured threateningly with the wooden spoon, then resumed his cooking. Somehow my other wielding a wooden spoon still managed to look intimidating despite the fact that it was a wooden spoon. There was even some batter on the tip to add to its non-menacingness.

Jonouchi looked sad as he walked away, slumped over, clutching his stomach in mock agony. "I'm starving! Do we really have to wait till Mai and Shizuka show up?"

"Shizuka-chan's coming?" Honda looked up excited. Really I could never tell if those two were actually dating or if Honda was still chasing after a crush.

"Yes, and you'd better keep your paws off her or I'll beat your face into the pavement, do you understand?"

We all laughed as Honda attempted to look innocent and Jonouchi continued to glare at him.

Just then we once again heard the front door open, and this time Otogi came through the passageway, Shizuka following.

"What are you doing with Shizuka!" Honda and Jonouchi both exclaimed at once. Otogi rolled his eyes then looked at them cockily.

"Oh nothing." He smirked then put his arm around a very flustered Shizuka.

"Otogi!" Honda whined.

"What does it matter to you?"

"Otogi you-"

"Relax, we just met at the door." He smirked and removed his arm. Honda and Jonouchi grumbled a bit as Otogi showed Shizuka to a seat on the couch before pulling a chair away from the counter and sitting down himself.

"Sorry I'm late, you guys." Mai walked in, her arms supporting a case of beer. "Just had to buy this. Now the party can really start!" Jonouchi and Honda jumped up rejoicing – the previous incident already forgotten – and Jonouchi fairly tackled Mai to the ground.

"Yay! Beer!" Jonouchi yelled.

"Is that all I'm good for?" Mai glared at him and he grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Mai."

"Yeah, yeah, of course you are."

I sighed and returned to chopping up the last of the fruit for the salad. Suddenly I saw a hand come from behind me and swipe a few strawberries off the counter. Mou Hitori no Boku had already popped them in his mouth and was grinning contently by the time I spun around.

"You're just as bad as Jonouchi-kun." I reprimanded. My other self continued to grin as he leaned in and spoke quietly so no one else could hear.

"You want to get them back?"

I raised my eyebrows teasingly but just turned around and resumed my work, leaving him to swallow the remaining pieces of strawberry without my intervention.

By this time Jonouchi and Honda had gotten bored waiting for the food and instead had decided to drag Bakura off towards the living room, beer in tow. Bakura put up a surprising amount of resistance, despite knowing how futile that would be. He started yelling plaintively as they pulled him across the carpeted floor.

"Mai-kun, Yugi-kun, help me!" He yelped as they pulled him by the waist through the kitchen doorway. He could only hold on with one hand because of his injured arm. But his grip was surprisingly strong as he managed to resist another few seconds before he was finally yanked through. Jonouchi and Honda had him by the ankles now.

"Jonouchi! Be gentle with him!" Mai called out grinning despite herself.

"Onee-chan can be so silly sometimes!" Shizuka looked up at Mai and smiled. "He knows Bakura-san doesn't like beer."

"You're still as naïve as ever, aren't you?" Mai replied, sighing.

"Just one, Bakura! Come on!" We heard Honda yell from the living room, and then Mai, Otogi, and Shizuka left to go and help. Although I didn't know which side they were going to help.

"Poor Bakura-kun…"

Mou Hitori no Boku tried to steal another strawberry but I grabbed his hand before he could reach it. "Give me that wooden spoon so I can whack you with it." I glared up at him.

"Nope, mine!" He replied then lightly kissed my cheek.

"Not going to work." I replied.

"Too bad." He grinned and I rolled my eyes, convinced that some higher being was determined that I shouldn't finish. Oh yeah, it was Mou Hitori no Boku…

Why me?

.--Yami no Yugi--.

The game we'd decided to play wasn't one I'd ever seen before, but it was clear to me that it had nothing to do with strategy or skill whatsoever.

I wasn't saying this because I was losing, of course not, I just thought that the entire concept was rather ridiculous. Really, I mean, why on earth would someone subject themselves to this kind of embarrassment.

And by embarrassment I meant Jonouchi's attempt to illustrate a word so that Aibou could figure out what the word was. The game was called Pictionary; it was American. And even though it only required the artistic skills of a toddler to play, the only team with enough points to speak of was Mai and Shizuka's.

Honda and Otogi were failing just as bad as Jonouchi and Yugi. And the few points Bakura and I had gathered was only due to my ability to draw the easy cards with words like "house" or "cat".

Currently I suspected that Jonouchi was trying to draw some sort of animal, but I couldn't be quite sure.

_It looks like something's butt just exploded…_ I thought to Aibou.

_Oh that's so mature, Mou Hitori no Boku! _He thought back, exasperated.

I could tell that Aibou had no idea what it was that Jonouchi had attempted to draw, and the seconds quickly passed.

"Time!" Mai called out cheerfully, having just won for the second time in a row.

"Yugi!" Jonouchi whined. "I thought for sure we'd win! You _are_ King of Games!" We all shook our heads, still puzzling over what was drawn on the small square of paper.

"Jonouchi, what the hell is that, anyway?" Otogi voiced all our opinions oh so eloquently.

"It's a chicken! Duh! It's laying an egg!"

"Oh so that was the thing exploding from its butt" Otogi commented. Yugi laughed and I smirked in triumph, _told you_. 

"You're just a terrible artist, Jonouchi. Aibou can't help that." Jonouchi glared at me but I shrugged it off.

"Yay! We've won again!" Mai and Shizuka jumped up and hugged each other before bending over Jonouchi simultaneously, evil grins on their faces. The way they matched was rather eerie, actually.

"You lost to girls!" They gloated, and then leaned back as Jonouchi yelled his objections.

"Did we want to play something else now?" Yugi asked, trying to change the subject as always.

"Oh, how late is it? I need to start heading home." Shizuka looked at the clock worriedly before Honda told her to relax, he'd drive her back.

"Oh no you don't!" Jonouchi yelled, still worked up over losing and his humiliation. "_I'll_ drive you home, Shizuka." He grabbed her by the arm and started to escort her to the door. Shizuka looked a little scared, though.

"That's okay, Onee-chan. I can walk…" She tried to smile but Jonouchi wasn't really listening.

"Give it up, Jonouchi, you'll just end up getting both of yourselves killed." She sighed and pulled him off Shizuka. "Go ahead and put your shoes on, Shizuka, I'll be right there. You can ride with me." Shizuka looked thoroughly confused now. Mai wasn't any better than Jonouchi, however she didn't have a choice anymore so she just sighed and went over to the door.

Mai grabbed the case of beer and began to walk off but Jonouchi whimpered, reaching for the box. "Do you have to take the beer?" He whined.

"I bought it so I'm taking it back. Go get your own!" We all sighed as Jonouchi continued to plead with her as she walked towards the door.

"But we haven't even gotten Bakura to have one, yet!" No one missed the relieved expression on Bakura's face as Jonouchi said this. We all knew how Bakura got, even after one drink.

The front door shut with a resounding thud and Jonouchi groaned before sulking back into the living room.

"I should probably go home too, it's almost ten and I still have to pack for tomorrow." Bakura stood up and Otogi followed suit.

"Need a ride, Bakura?" Otogi grabbed his keys out of the same place he kept his dice, which nobody could figure out.

"That's okay, Yugi-kun's apartment is actually relatively close to Kaiba-kun's, plus it's in the totally opposite direction from yours. I'll walk."

"But it's the middle of winter! You'll freeze." Honda exclaimed.

"Well I walked here, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Besides, I brought a coat."

"Kaiba-kun didn't give you a ride?" Aibou looked at Bakura, confused.

"He had to work." Bakura looked at us as though we should have already known this. I guess we should have, but it _was_ Christmas day, even Kaiba couldn't be that obsessed.

"Heh, figures that jerk would work on Christmas." Jonouchi had sprawled himself over the couch and was now looking upside down at Bakura frowning at the thought of Kaiba.

"Yeah, how much more Scrooge-like could you get?" Honda replied.

"It is rather pathetic." Otogi agreed with the rest of them while Aibou and I sat there. Aibou looked decidedly uncomfortable and I was watching Bakura's reaction closely.

His shoulders had tensed up a bit and he lowered his chin defensively. "He was just going in to take care of a few things." Bakura retorted, quietly.

"And what is Kaiba's definition of a 'few' things?" Jonouchi looked at Bakura triumphantly.

I saw Bakura flinch slightly, and the angry note in his next words surprised me. "Kaiba-kun's not as inhuman as you guys like to accuse him of being." He fairly growled.

"It's not like you need to defend the guy." Otogi replied. Because I was watching closely I saw the offended look in Bakura's face before he shrugged, offhandedly, and turned back towards the door. "I have to go." He muttered.

_Mou Hitori no Boku…_

I looked at Aibou and saw the pleading expression on his face. The one that absolutely no one could resist. And not the one he does on purpose – the genuinely concerned one.

_I'll take care of this._

_What are you going to do?_

_Just trust me._

_Okay._

I was glad Yugi responded so quickly. Quite frankly, as I stood up and followed Bakura to the door, I had no idea what I would say. But Yugi's confidence inspired me.

"Bakura," I called out quietly as I caught up with him, just as he reached for the door. We were in the small alcove that separated the front door from the rest of the apartment, so everyone else had tuned out of our conversation and had returned to deciding on a game to play. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Bakura answered curtly.

I crossed my arms and looked him right in the eyes. "There must be something. You just brushed us off with a shrug worthy of Kaiba."

Bakura yanked his coat on and looked back at me exasperated. "You see that's just it. Everyone seems to think Kaiba is some sort of heartless machine. But for the past week he has been so gracious to me. He's let me stay in his apartment while Otogi was settling into his new apartment, even though I must be a disturbance. Plus he's been helping me with my essay, and he took me to see BLAST even though he should have been working.

That's the reason why he had to work all last night and today, because he took the day off to take me there. He's really a lot kinder than you all like to portray him. He's different when he's not around you. Actually, I think it's because you guys just expect him to be cold that he appears that way to you. He couldn't very well be nice to you guys, you'd just ask him why the heck he was doing it.

He's a nice guy. He smiles, believe it or not! And he's definitely not heartless!"

"You're in love with Kaiba, aren't you?" I interrupted.

His face flushed red and he bent over to tie his shoe, letting his bangs hide his expression. I grinned and kneeled down to his eye level. "Ah, now I get it. Sorry, Bakura, if I'd known you liked him so much I wouldn't have insulted him. If you and Kaiba are dating then he can't be a bad person."

"We…we're not dating." Bakura and I stood back up and Bakura rubbed his arm awkwardly. "And I don't think that's likely to happen."

"Not as unlikely as you might think." Bakura looked up and I could see the eagerness in his eyes. I was so tempted to laugh at the honesty in his expression. In many ways, Bakura reminded me of Yugi.

"Please don't go and make a big deal of it. I'm sure it's not going to go anywhere, and I don't want everyone feeling sorry for me or mad at him when it doesn't." Bakura said this quietly, but the eagerness still flickered in his eyes. I smiled and placed my hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"A few of us have noticed something. Aibou and I thought Kaiba's behavior in the hospital was odd. We've been wondering why he saved you, not that it should surprise us, but still… Plus he let you live with him. Kaiba must value his privacy, this much we all can say for certain. But despite this he let you stay for a whole week.

Then he took those days off for the concert. Honda even noticed that; he said he saw you two looking at each other during the performance. And something about your expressions made him suspicious. Although he just thinks you two are friends, so don't worry about him figuring out your feelings. He's too dense.

Anyway, Aibou is convinced that Kaiba likes you, or at least feels something for you that he doesn't feel for any of us. I'd say there's a good chance he returns the feelings, though I'm not saying you need to go and dive head first into a relationship.

Just don't get yourself down and pessimistic, you do that too much. I won't tell anyone, but don't give up hope, okay?"

He nodded, smiling now. I opened the door for him and he turned back as he stepped out. "Thanks, Atem-kun." Bakura waved as he ran off, leaving a trail of footsteps in his wake. I blinked, a little taken aback by his use of my real name. But then again, of all Aibou's friends, Bakura was the one closest to Ancient Egypt. Plus he was always so careful with names and honorifics that I think he found it awkward calling me "the other Yugi."

As I walked back into the living room I saw that Otogi was getting ready to leave as well and things were starting to settle down. Aibou looked at me expectantly.

_Well our suspicions were correct. Bakura is crazy about Kaiba._ So I stretched his words a little. I think the statement was true enough, judging from his speech.

_Oh…_

_Aibou-_

_I know, "don't worry." I can't help it, Mou Hitori no Boku._

_…I know. Let's just trust Bakura, okay?_

_Hm._

.--Bakura--.

I couldn't stop thinking about what Yami no Yugi had said as I walked back to Kaiba's apartment.

Was there really hope? From what he said I couldn't help but think that he was right. Kaiba had been uncharacteristically open with me. Yugi had thought we were already dating, and he'd only seen Kaiba in the hospital and at the concert. He didn't even know about our conversation on the train and at the café, or about him letting me lean on his shoulder, or all the other things I'd noticed this past week.

As I pushed the button for floor seventeen and the elevator doors closed I looked up at the shining, semi-reflective ceiling and saw the grin plastered over my face.

I wondered if Kaiba had found the present I left him yet. He hadn't mentioned it this morning. I guess I'd have to give it to him when he returned from work, whenever that would be. Suddenly I felt really nervous. Would he really like the cookbook? Or would he think it odd. After all, I'd never actually seen him cook. He might not even like it. He might have just cooked that once for Megan…

I slid the key card through the slot and opened the door to Kaiba's apartment. I was shocked as I stepped through the entryway. I had expected to find the lights off and the apartment empty, but instead I was greeted with a warm blast of air, the smell of something delicious cooking in the oven, and Kaiba standing in the kitchen with a piece of paper in one hand and a spoon covered with yellow gooey dough in the other.

Kaiba was…cooking…

"Kaiba-kun?"

He looked up, surprised. "Oh – uh – Bakura. I wasn't expecting you to be this early." We both turned towards the clock, which was just striking ten minutes past ten.

"I'm sorry, were you expecting someone else?" I looked at the table, which had been set for two. The napkins were folded perfectly. This struck me as funny. They really were folded absolutely perfectly.

"Well… you." He turned around and continued to mix the soft doughy substance in the bowl in front of him.

"But…" I stammered.

"This is for you, it's a Christmas present. To thank you for the cookbook you got me." I was relieved that he kept his eyes on the bowl because I was blushing furiously by that point.

"Oh…" I mumbled intelligently. Great, what genius. Here I was a Language major and all I could come up with was "oh."

"You can go get changed if you want. I'm still going to be a few minutes."

"Um, okay." I replied, again very eloquently, before dashing off to the spare bedroom like a mouse escaping a cat. As I shut the door behind me I leant back against it, holding the knob for support.

I had the overwhelming urge to giggle. And as I struggled to stifle this urge I felt my face heat up even more. I pulled off my coat and draped it over the bed, falling down onto the mattress.

I stuffed my face into a pillow, letting the cool fabric remove some of the heat from my cheeks, and sighed contently. "Kaiba is cooking me dinner." I talked into the cushy stuffing.

I sucked in a breath, let it out, and stood up quickly, pausing a bit as the blood rushed from my head and left me a little dizzy.

I walked slowly back out to the kitchen and stopped at the counter, watching as Kaiba pulled something out of the oven, deftly avoiding the steam as he lifted the lid off the dish.

"Go ahead and sit down." Somehow he knew I was standing there, though he hadn't turned around at all. I pulled out a chair a bit awkwardly and settled into the seat.

As I fumbled with the napkin Kaiba set a large dish down on the table and threw the dishtowel he'd been using to protect his hands over on the counter. "It's bouillabaisse. I found it in the book you gave me."

I looked into the pot and saw that it was a sort of stew inside. The smell that wafted from it was heavenly, and I felt my stomach growl, quietly this time. I hadn't eaten much at Yugi's, seeing as they'd ordered KFC and I wasn't a fan of fast food. I'd just snacked a little on the salad and cookies, which wasn't much of a dinner.

I let Kaiba spoon some of the stew out onto my plate and carefully brought a piece up to my mouth, blowing on it a bit to cool it down. It was delicious. Kaiba smirked confidently as he sat down across from me and scooped out some for himself.

"This is fantastic, Kaiba-kun!" My eyes were wide now as I began to eat. The meat was so tender it melted in my mouth, and the vegetables burst with the juicy flavors of the stew and seasonings.

We ate in comfortable silence, and I was disappointed when Kaiba removed the dish from the table and set a clean one in front of me.

"That's for dessert." I watched the stew mournfully as Kaiba placed it on a wire rack next to the oven. But my attention was soon diverted when he pulled a plate of cream puffs out of the refrigerator and brought it to the table. I was practically drooling by the time he set it down in front of me. "They're your favorite, right?"

I looked up at Kaiba, astounded. "You actually remembered that?"

"Of course." He shrugged a little and sat back down himself.

"Oh…thank you." I murmured, embarrassed. For a few seconds I looked down at the plate awkwardly, then my stomach overcame my brain and I took a bite of one of the delectable little poufs of cream.

I almost cried.

"Do you like them?"

I nodded excitedly and took another bite, then another. Pretty soon I had polished off the entire puff and had moved on to a second. "These are so great, Kaiba-kun! But Megan-kun said they were hard to make, how did you…"

"I just like to cook. I haven't baked too much, but if you follow the directions exactly it's not too hard. You just have to be precise."

"And that, of course, is no problem for _you_." I grinned and continued to stuff my face. It never occurred to me that I might look stupid doing this; the creampuffs were too good.

"Yeah." He replied.

I was a little surprised at how quiet he was being, so I paused for a moment and looked at him across the table. He took a small bite of creampuff and stared off out the window as he chewed it. At first he just seemed distant, and I felt a little upset. But then I realized that he looked more nervous than bored.

"Thank you, Kaiba-kun, for dinner. It's the best present I've gotten in a long time." I smiled at him, letting the happiness inside me spread the grin even wider till I was sure it looked just silly. I couldn't help it, my chest was about to explode with happiness, and all I could do to show this was smile, and blush. And so I did both with great enthusiasm.

Kaiba, for his part, just looked a little shocked.

"It seems we were both nervous about giving our presents. I didn't know that you liked to cook; Megan just said you were good. I didn't know what else to get that you would actually like."

Kaiba was looking at me calmly now. "Thanks, Bakura." His expression was the same as it had been when he was sleeping; entirely devoid of the tight control he normally held. Then, slowly, a smile started to spread over his features, and he bent over, resting his head on his palm. "You're right, I was nervous." He was laughing a little, at himself.

It suddenly dawned on me that Kaiba hadn't gone to work at all today. When he said he was going out he had actually gone grocery shopping, and then he had come back here and spent a fair portion of the day preparing this.

I thought again of the other Yugi's words and my stomach twisted a little.

"Bakura," Kaiba was looking at me now, seriously. I felt my heart thumping against my ribs. "Have you thought about… what I mentioned this morning?"

I looked at him, confused, and he ran his hand through his bangs, a habit I had figured out to be a sign that he was uneasy.

"Will you stay with me?"

I realized now what he meant, and that I hadn't thought about it at all. "I … didn't think you were serious." I replied quietly.

"I'm very serious, Bakura." He looked at me directly and I felt his intense gaze meet my own. My mind went blank and I found I couldn't think at all, about his question or even about the creampuff hovering in my hand between my plate and my face.

I looked down and finished the bite I held in my hand to stall.

I knew that I wanted to stay with Kaiba. More than anything I wanted to stay. But if I did, I also knew that my feelings for him would grow even more. Was I willing to let that happen, not knowing if those feelings were returned?

But the way Kaiba had asked me to stay… _"Will you stay with me?"_, and after that… _"I am very serious."_ Was that Kaiba's way of saying what I hoped he'd say?

Did Kaiba really like me too?

"I don't know yet." I answered both his question and the one I'd posed to myself in my mind.

Kaiba nodded then stood up and quickly cleared the dishes off the table, carrying them over to the counter and setting them in the sink. His face was turned away from me so I didn't know what he was feeling. Was he upset? It seemed that way.

"I'm sorry, I haven't thought about it." I picked up my own plate and brought it over, setting it down on the counter next to the sink. His back was still to me. I turned the faucet to hot and started filling the sink with steaming water, squirting some soap in and watching the bubbles grow and conceal the dirty dishes.

As I wiped my hands off on the towel Kaiba had thrown on the counter I felt tears stinging the sides of my eyes. I really, really didn't want to leave.

I turned around to grab the last of the dishes and nearly ran into Kaiba, who had come up right behind me with the plate of creampuffs. We both looked a little surprised, and each of us tried to step to the side awkwardly, not accomplishing anything as we both moved to my left and his right.

I started to move again but Kaiba just reached past me and set the plate on the counter, leaning close as he did so. I had to look up now to see his face, and when I did so I saw that he was once again looking down at me, his intense eyes slightly narrowed. He was upset? This was an expression I'd never seen on him, and it made my whole body ache. Our proximity didn't help.

"Bakura-"

"Ryou." I interrupted him. I had no idea why I said it, but I wondered how it would sound, if he called me by my given name. Of course I knew this was no time for my silly curiosity, yet I couldn't help but think that if he said it, I would know my answer.

He blinked, "what?"

"You… you can call me Ryou." His eyes no longer looked upset. Rather his eyebrows were raised in surprise; and I might have imagined it, but it seemed that he leaned in a little closer as he spoke.

His gaze was intense and direct now. "Only if you call me Seto." I couldn't even feel my face to know if I was blushing. My mind was screaming. I could feel his knee against my thigh and he was so close…

"Seto." I repeated, almost in a whisper.

Suddenly his hand was over mine, and I felt the gentle pressure as he wrapped his fingers around my own.

"I would really like you to stay, Ryou." I was too entranced by his eyes that seemed as deep and calm as the night sky, to respond right away. But when he said my name I knew the answer. How could I leave _now_?

"Okay." Kaiba smiled, warmly, and softly, and then stepped back. He let my hand slide slowly out of his. My head fell forward, my shoulders relaxed, and I had to grip the counter behind me as the all tension left my body. When I looked up Kaiba was still smiling at me, and I knew I was smiling back.

It was probably only a few seconds, but I felt like we stood there for a full ten minutes. As he turned away and continued to clean up the kitchen, his gaze didn't leave mine till the last second.

I couldn't move just then, so I stayed where I was, leaning against the counter, watching Kaiba, and letting my heart slow back to a somewhat normal level.

I didn't know if this meant what I thought it meant. Kaiba hadn't actually said he liked me, but I felt like this was his roundabout way of saying just that. My hand still felt warm where he had held it, and my eyes followed his movements attentively, tracing the lithe lines of his body.

This was what I wanted. I wanted to stay here, even if I had to face the consequences. And I couldn't help but wonder, also, if all this really would work out.

.------.

Notes…

(1) Good morning

(2) I found out after writing this that people in Japan normally give end-of-the-year presents instead of christmas presents because they don't actually celebrate the Christian holiday of Christmas (just the Halmark holiday, lol).

-

Yay! That was my favorite scene so far. I've finally gotten to the fluffy bits!

Yami no Yugi: Wasn't our scene in chapter three fluffy?

SC: Yes, but it didn't have the romantic tension that this scene had.

Yami no Yugi: But it had hugging.

SC: Yes.

Yami no Yugi: And kissing.

SC: Yes.

Yami no Yugi: French kissing!

SC: Okay, fine, your scene was fluffier. But this is still my favorite scene so far.

Yami no Yugi: You are pathetic.

SC: This I know.

To conclude, I would like to thank my mom for being crazy enough to sit in the same room as me while I was writing this, knowing that I would inevitably ask her every question of grammar, spelling, and French cuisine that came into my head, and for answering said questions patiently. I couldn't have written this chapter without her!

Good thing she has a master's degree in English, I asked her some very out-there questions…

Lastly, I've decided to just finish this fic before I post it. Not that it really affects all of you right now. But I felt like announcing just when this thought occurred to me.

Three chapters left! More fluffiness to come!!

--SC


	6. Diction

_Disclaimer…_

_Pages blowing wild,  
__the wind of lawsuits destroys!  
__My only creation._

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

The next three chapters will be relatively short. At least, I think they will be, judging by their outlines. Some times my outlines seem really long because there's a ton of dialogue, but then they end up being a lot shorter once translated into actual writing. And sometimes they seem really short but I have a lot of lines that just say "Bakura thinks about the sky" when this really means two or three paragraphs of very important ranting.

Otogi: You like to think those passages are important, don't you.

SC: They are important! They are full of symbolism and meaning!

Otogi: Do you honestly think any of your readers will notice or care?

SC: I'm too much of a perfectionist to do otherwise. If I wrote pure fluff I would feel unaccomplished.

Otogi: Sucks to be you.

Jessy-chan likes those chapters, right? Jessy-chan? … I love you?

-

Ryuusui: Actually, school's already started up for me, hence the late update. Ack, move in day is a pain in the butt! Plus I'm on the fourth floor of a dorm with no elevators this year, so that made it even more fun. Anyways, I'm ecstatic that you're ecstatic! And yes, Megan has been in on this all along (if you reread the first scene between her and Seto in chapter one you'll get it). I'll probably write a one shot from Seto's POV to better explain how he began to "like" Ryou.

k.Zelda-mckay: I feel special!!! I'm glad you made it past the first chapter; while it is necessary to the plot, and I do like some moments in it, I really like the later chapters better. I hope this chapter is your favorite so far!

Bat-Fox: -Is glomped- Yay! You remind me of my friend (who I've affectionately decided to call Cat-san). You both have such enthusiastic reactions!! Your review made me smile like an idiot for at least five minutes. Thank YOU for sending your thoughts, and I'm always happy to reply to my reviewers. You all deserve it!

-

Diction 

n. The choice and use of words.

.--Bakura--.

"I can't believe it took you fours hours to complete that. I gave you a simple task, and very basic directions." I stared out the car window distantly as Kaiba continued to chew out the unfortunate employee on the other end of his cell phone.

"That shipment was supposed to have been distributed this morning and the next shipment won't leave until tomorrow afternoon. We are now over twenty-four hours behind schedule because of your incompetence!"

Kaiba's chauffer picked us up early this morning to take me to the airport and Kaiba to work. He had been talking on his cell phone almost non-stop since we left the apartment, and I glared at the passing scenery feeling completely ignored.

Finally, Kaiba closed the cell phone and put it back in his pocket. But instead of turning towards me he leaned forward and asked the driver how long until we reached the airport.

Was he that anxious to get rid of me?! I turned my head and looked at him, but he had his steely glare focused on the back of the seat in front of him, and I had no interest in interrupting whatever thoughts were giving him that expression.

I leaned my head against the cool glass of the window and closed my eyes, wishing we would just get to the airport so I could escape this car.

Fortunately the car pulled into the terminal as I thought this, and the driver pulled up to the curb marked "International Departures". Kaiba stepped out and held the door open for me. I slid out of my seat and took my luggage from the chauffer, who had retrieved it from the trunk.

As we walked through the large automatic glass doors, Kaiba's cell phone started to ring again and he pulled it out, answering curtly.

"What now?"

I rolled my eyes and made my way to security. I could hear Kaiba walking behind me, still talking fiercely into the receiver. We reached the roped off area where only passengers could pass, and I felt Kaiba grab my hand before I could continue.

"Hold on for a second," he commanded the employee before turning to me and kissing my cheek. "Have a safe trip." He let my hand go and returned to his conversation. I stared at him, not able to believe that he hadn't even waited for me to reply.

This guy was unbelievable! I turned away and stalked off. I hadn't even been able to enjoy the kiss, which might have sent my emotions flying two days ago. Right now I was too mad at him to even care.

I looked around at all the other travelers in line with me and began to space out as we made our way, slowly, to the security gate.

It wasn't until I saw Yugi and the others in the distance, waving to me, that I realized that I had passed security already and had made my way through the terminal to the departure gate.

Yugi started walking towards me, smiling. "Bakura-kun, we were starting to wonder if you would make it on time." I attempted to smile back, and Yugi gave me an odd look as he approached. "Bakura-kun? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." No, I wasn't fine. I wasn't fine at all. But my anger had left too, and I only felt a familiar emptiness. Fine was the only word I could think of. And Yugi knew that I was lying, I could see it in his eyes.

"Hey Bakura," Mai greeted me. "Why were _you_ so late?"

"There was traffic." I set my bags down to give my shoulder a break. I really should have invested in one of those rolling bags, but it was too late now.

"Yuck, I hate traffic." Jonouchi shuddered and everyone laughed as he made a "yuck" face. I just smiled and watched as he did his impersonation of an angry driver.

"Bakura-kun," Yugi was beside me again, frowning up at me. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, Yugi-kun."

"But-" He was interrupted by the voice over the speaker announcing our flight.

"Now boarding all remaining passengers for flight 7307 to New York. Passengers on flight 7307 please start boarding your plane."

We all gathered up our bags and filed into the two lines that fed into the long tunnel attaching the gate to the plane's door outside. I managed to place myself next to Otogi, and Jonouchi and Honda took up the spots behind me, effectively cutting myself off from Yugi's questioning eyes.

I felt a little bad for ignoring him like that, but I didn't want to talk about anything right now. I just wanted to be alone so I could think.

Our group's seats were close, but not all together. The seats were all divided into three sections. There were three seats together on either side of the plane, and five seats in the middle, with two aisles running between each section. It was a fairly large plane, as the transcontinental planes usually were.

Yugi was seated in the aisle seat of the middle section, about halfway to the back of the plane. Mai and Shizuka had the two seats in front of him and to his right, but Honda soon switched with Mai so he could sit next to Shizuka.

Jonouchi was about to oppose this before he realized that this placed him next to Mai. They were in the two seats closest to the windows, one row in front of Honda and Shizuka, but in the side section instead of the middle.

I also had a window seat, behind Jonouchi, and Otogi's seat was the one behind me.

I spent a few seconds struggling to shove my bag in the overhead compartment before a stewardess came up behind me and asked if I needed some help. Otogi looked at her charmingly and said he would take care of it. She practically melted into a puddle of goo, and I wondered where Otogi had learned that trick.

"I was born with these talents." He replied to my internal dialogue, and easily stuffed my bag into the compartment then threw his own luggage up with it. We had both insisted on packing all our stuff into one bag, not wanting to deal with the hassle of checking any others. For me it was more a matter of not having enough things to fill up more than one suitcase, and for Otogi it was a habit born of his constant travel.

It was one of his habits that actually made sense.

I made my way to the window seat, holding onto the backrests in front of me for balance as I squeezed past the other two seats in my row. Coach seats are ridiculously small. However, I really shouldn't have complained. We had gotten the seats, normally over two hundred thousand yen, for almost nothing thanks to Otogi's frequent flyer miles and the agency his business used.

I realized, as I thought this, that I hadn't yet told Otogi that I wouldn't be moving in after the trip. But as I sat down in my seat and recalled this morning's events, I wondered if I needed to tell Otogi.

I was beginning to wonder if staying with Kaiba would be the best decision. And soon all of my previous inhibitions returned.

What if the relationship continued as it had been this morning? Would Kaiba, now that we had acknowledged our feelings, feel like he didn't need to spend time with me? Had we even really acknowledged our feelings?

I had felt so sure two nights ago that he liked me, but now I was beginning to wonder.

Wait, he kissed me, so of course he liked me. I blushed as I thought this, but then remembered how quickly that kiss had turned into nothing. Was that all I was. Someone he could pay attention to when it was convenient for him, and then forget as other, more important things came up?

I knew he was single-minded, but was he really that self-centered?

I hated myself for thinking this way. I had been so sure that I'd seen a new Kaiba, and then the old one returned just as I thought that things might actually work.

I breathed in slowly, then exhaled even slower, and let my mind wander out the window. Maybe if I didn't think about it things would make sense.

I turned around to ask Otogi how long the flight was supposed to be, but when I looked back he was leaning against the window, asleep. I was amazed that he managed to fall asleep in the position he was in.

Not only were the seats cramped (I was becoming painfully aware of this as an older couple sat down next to me and squished me further into the wall), but also there was no way to lean back, and no room to lean forward.

Otogi had piled two of the plane pillows up against the wall, and then rolled up his jacket, leaning his elbow on the coat and resting his head on his shoulder and the pillow.

That could not have been comfortable, but he was sound asleep nonetheless.

Seeing as I couldn't distract myself by talking to him, I decided to watch the rest of the passengers instead. My friends, for the most part, kept my mind decently entertained and away from certain topics I didn't wish to broach.

Honda spent most of the flight talking to and flirting with Shizuka. I quickly tired of watching them as it reminded me too much of the aforementioned topics, and was just silly and embarrassing in general.

Yugi got up a few hours into the flight to go to the bathroom and didn't return for an unreasonably long period of time. After about twenty minutes I began to question what was taking so long. I spent a few minutes wondering where the heck he had disappeared to (there was no line for the bathroom), when I saw him making his way back. There was nothing about him that seemed obviously different from normal.

But as I looked closer I saw that his cheeks were slightly flushed, and there was an odd smile to his face that I hadn't seen before except…

I smacked my head down onto the tray table in front of me. Yugi had just joined the mile high club… I couldn't believe it. But it made too much sense to deny. Heck, it was certainly easier for them than for most couples. They didn't have to sneak back or anything. All Yugi had to do was walk back there and then the other Yugi would just materialize and they could…

Oh gosh, I really couldn't believe they did _that _in _there_!

Not thinking about it, nothing thinking about it. I wasn't going to think about it.

Fortunately, Otogi woke up soon after and began to pester the flight attendants. This kept my mind off the growing list of this I was trying to ignore. At first Otogi was flirting with the attendants, and turning each into a goopey puddle just like the one who had offered to help me with my bags.

But after the effects of his "charm" began to wear off he started to complain about his enormous headache.

"Bakura, do you have an aspirin?"

I shook me head. "They don't allow that through security anymore, remember." He groaned and cursed the airline security system once again. He had complained about it a lot back when he'd been traveling more between the states and Japan.

Eventually he convinced one of the flight attendants to give him a glass of water and an Excedrin. He promptly fell back asleep, in the same obnoxious position, and I wondered how 60mg of caffeine could possibly cause someone to fall asleep.

Especially Otogi, who seemed to be especially sensitive to that particular drug.

About three quarters of the way through the trip Jonouchi finally figured out how to use the personal video feature, and started watching some absurd American movie revolving around over caricaturized animated cars.

It was fairly amusing to watch Jonouchi, though, as he had absolutely no grasp of the English language. He had decided to do his own voiceover.

I turned my headset onto the same channel so I could hear the English and his made up translation into Japanese at the same time.

Needless to say I was amused for the full two hours and two minutes that the movie lasted. Jonouchi, who still had not noticed his audience, which by that point included a ticked off passenger to his right (Mai) and a young kid in front of him, as well as myself, promptly started another movie. This one was the most recent Star Wars movie, Star Wars III.

At one point I had almost laughed out loud when Jonouchi translated the princess's "Anakin, I'm pregnant," into "Anakin, I think you need another wife." (1)

I spent so long holding in the laughter that tears began to fall from my eyes, and I had to wipe them away before I could continue watching. But this time he noticed that I was looking over the seat, and he started to make the dialogue even funnier.

By the time the captain announced the beginning of our decent I was doubled over laughing. I realized that, normally, I would have either been incredibly embarrassed by what he was doing, or I wouldn't have found it funny at all.

But I was so desperate to forget everything else that I let myself get completely absorbed in the mundane idiocy that was Jonouchi's humor.

Yugi looked at me strangely as we exited the plane, but all I could think about was how glad I was that those fourteen or so hours of mindless sitting were done. Now, at least, I had more to occupy my mind.

Like American airport security. Honestly, how absurd can these people get? Did they really not notice that the government was completely infringing on their privacy and a whole truckload of other rights they professed to having?

First they subjected Yugi to a "random search" and rifled through all his carry on luggage. I suspected this had something to do with his hair, which was admittedly unusual.

When they moved on to me next my suspicions were confirmed. And I stood there uncomfortably as a security officer patted his hands along my sides and down my legs. I was incredibly glad that the spirit of my sennen ring was no longer with me.

This would have been hell and chaos otherwise.

The next absurdity was customs, where they asked you every question imaginable.

"Where are you coming from? Where are you going? What is the purpose of your visit? What will be the duration of your stay? How old are you? What is your mother's maiden name? What is your pants size? Could you give that in American sizes? What is the name of the current political leader of France? Who was the captain of the Titanic? How do you say please in Korean?"

By the way, you _cannot_ say please in Korean. You can only command someone to do something politely. At least according to one of my classmates who was learning the language.

Then, finally, after we had all made it through customs and the others had retrieved their baggage, which was a struggle in and of itself, we piled ourselves into two cabs and headed off for the hotel.

I was stuck in a cab with Jonouchi and Honda, who were too busy arguing over who would room with whom to pay any attention to me.

Yugi had given me another pleading look as we had gotten into the cabs, partly the reason why I had hopped into this one. Once again I was left feeling guilty for worrying him, but there wasn't anything I could do about it now.

When we reached the hotel I was shocked to see just what kind of reservations Otogi had made for us. The hotel was far more luxurious than I had expected, and I couldn't help but gawk at the large chandelier that hung above the elegantly decorated lobby.

"Bakura, if you keep staring up at the ceiling you're going to run into something." Otogi was grinning at me when I returned my attention to eye level. "What were you so fascinated by this time?"

I shrugged. "I didn't know the Regency was this nice. How did you get reservations?" He placed his hands on his hips and looked down in mock modesty.

"Well, let's just say I have connections." He laughed and I sighed, wondering exactly what that meant.

The elevator ride was interesting. Jonouchi and Honda, as usual, insisted on being immature and tried to jump right when the elevator started moving to see if it would feel weird.

According to them it didn't, so in their disappointment they started making faces in the reflective walls.

Yugi was standing next to me, and he looked absolutely determined not to let me escape this time.

Our rooms were on the sixth floor, down the hall a bit. We had two bedroom suites, connected by a small door in the wall they shared. Each suite had a common room and two bedrooms adjoining this room.

Otogi and I were to share a suite with Yugi, and the rest of the group would be in the suite next to us. Otogi and I took the bedroom with two beds, and Yugi took the bedroom with a single queen-sized bed.

From Jonouchi's complaints it seemed that Mai and Shizuka had grabbed the room mirroring ours, with two beds, forcing Honda and Jonouchi to share a bed.

Otogi laughed and wished Honda good luck, mentioning something about battle city and good memories. We all separated into our respective rooms to start unpacking, and Yugi asked me to wait a moment before I headed off.

"Bakura, are you going to tell me what's going on or not?"

I hesitated, then shook my head and looked away from him to the floor on my left. "No, I'm not going to. Not right now."

"Fine. But if I see you getting too down, I'm going to make you. Or rather, Mou Hitori no Boku will." I attempted to smile, but this just caused him to sigh and walk off into his own room.

When I walked into the room Otogi and I were sharing, Otogi was sprawled across the bed looking ready to complain. I knew this because he always had this look before his rants.

So I started to unpack and prepared myself for the inevitable.

"What's wrong, Otogi-kun?"

He let loose an incredibly loud, long, and put-upon sigh before starting.

"I had to wake up super early this morning so I would have time to pack, and then I had to rush around getting ready, and then I had to wait for a taxi to take me to the airport. And the stupid driver tried to overcharge me so I didn't give him a tip.

Then waiting in the lines for my boarding pass was a pain, and there was a screaming kid behind me the entire time.

_Then_ I ended up getting lost looking for the bathroom, and wasted half an hour walking back and forth before I finally found it.

_And_ on top of all this I am sore as hell!"

"Why?" I was still registering all the previous complaints when I replied to his last one.

"I have no clue. Probably from moving all those boxes. But I guess you wouldn't understand how hard that was. Not that it was your fault that you couldn't help me with the bigger ones. I blame Honda-kun."

I rolled my eyes. "So why didn't you print your boarding pass ahead of time. I would think you, out of all of us, would be the most experienced traveler. Speaking of which, how did you get lost in the Osaka Airport?"

"I was deprived of sleep and not in a good mood. What time is it here, anyway? And since when did you become all airport savvy I'm-so-smart-I-printed-my-boarding-pass-ahead-of-time-san?"

"It's almost nine in the morning, December twenty-seventh. And Kaiba-kun printed it for me." I glared down into my suitcase wishing I hadn't said that. "Anyways, you shouldn't have waited until this morning to pack."

"I know." Otogi rolled over and I could tell he was pouting.

"Otogi-kun…" I was about to tell him about last night. Really, I was just about to let it all out. But suddenly I heard a knock on the door and Jonouchi poked his head in.

"Hey guys, we're going to talk about our plans for the next four days. Get out here for a sec."

Otogi rolled off the bed and followed me out the door. "What were you going to say, Bakura?"

"Nothing."

Yugi-tachi had gathered together in the common room of our suite, and they were all seated in a circle around the small coffee table in the center of the room.

"Before we do anything, I say we order some room service. I don't know about anyone else, but my stomach is way confused by this time change. It should be this evening but instead we've only moved forward a few hours."

We all agreed and Yugi picked up the phone to call down as the rest of us started making plans.

"So what does everybody want to do?" Shizuka grabbed a piece of paper, ready to write down suggestions.

"First, I want to see the Statue of Liberty," Jonouchi declared. "Then, I want a hot dog. Then I want to see the Empire State Building, then another hot dog." Otogi sighed.

"You're such a tourist."

"Well excuse me for not having traveled here a million times! I dare you to say that again."

"You are _such_ a _tourist_." Otogi emphasized his words even more this time, and added a cocky sneer into the mix.

"I'm going to-" Honda clapped his hand over Jonouchi's mouth and continued the conversation calmly.

"I would also be interested in seeing the sites. But I'd also like to try some of the finer restaurants, while we're here."

"I agree." Yugi had hung up the phone now and rejoined the conversation. "Plus, there are a bunch of cool museums here. I wouldn't mind checking a few out."

"Me too," I interjected.

"Just as long as no monsters start coming out of the sky or weird people start talking about the end of the world again," Honda reminded him.

"And we absolutely must save time for shopping." Mai beamed and Shizuka instantly agreed with her. Sometimes Shizuka reminded me of a baby duckling.

"I'd also like to go bar hopping to get some ideas." I looked at Honda confused before I remembered that he was currently working as a bartender and saving up to open an establishment of his own.

"Good idea, Honda-kun." Yugi smiled and looked at the list Shizuka had written out.

"Why don't we save the museums for later and take care of the sightseeing and shopping tomorrow. Anzu said she's free that day so she can show us around. We can check out this art exhibit the next day," Yugi showed us a flyer he had picked up at the check in desk. "And then Anzu's performance will be the next day, so we can relax that morning then go out to dinner after her show."

"Sounds great," we all agreed.

"Then that leaves us all of Sunday to get ready for New Years!" Jonouchi had calmed down again and was looking more ready than ever. "I can't wait! New Years Eve in Times Square! This is going to be better than all the hot dogs in New York!"

"Yeah!" Honda shouted, and they smacked their hands together. We watched them, each with our own expression of slight amusement or confusion. These two thought of little other than fun and food, it seemed.

Personally, I was not looking forward to celebrating New Years in Times Square. I'd heard that it got incredibly crowded, and I didn't like being surrounded by that many people as it was, let alone on New Years with my arm the way it was.

"Bakura-kun, you don't look excited." I blinked as Jonouchi stuck his face in mine. "Aren't you looking forward to New Years?"

"Not really, actually. I was just thinking that it might be best if I stayed behind…"

"Oh yeah, because of your arm." Yugi looked at me, upset. "Are you sure, Bakura?"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I'll stay back with him." Otogi offered, looking over at me for confirmation.

"You don't have to, Otogi-kun. I'll just relax a little bit before our trip back."

"Well, we'll talk more that day. I don't think it'd be right to leave you alone on New Years Eve."

Just then we heard a knock on the door and Jonouchi leapt to his feet to answer. "Room service!" He was grinning broadly as the woman pushed the tray into the room, and he could barely restrain himself as Otogi tipped the waitress and held the door open for her as she left.

The instant the door closed Jonouchi and Honda started attacking the cart as though they hadn't eaten for days. We laughed and didn't even bother to try to get some food for ourselves lest we lose a hand.

.--Yami no Yugi--.

"You're watching me, aren't you?" Aibou turned around and looked at me with a slight pout. I smirked, leaning back against the oversized pillows on the bed we were sharing. Aibou had already slipped his pants off and was now working on the buttons of his light blue shirt.

"Need help?" He turned away with a little "humph."

"I'm changing into my pajamas. Mou Hitori no Boku is only good at getting my clothes _off_."

"As we proved today on the plane." I smiled at him suggestively. Even though his back was turned I knew that he knew that I was still watching him.

I loved to watch Aibou change. Although for some strange reason it always made him embarrassed. I tried to tell him that it wasn't like I hadn't seen him undressed before, but he continued to blush whenever he caught me looking.

Despite this I continued to relax and enjoy the delicate curve of his back and legs as he pulled his pajama bottoms on over his adorable plaid boxers. One might not think of plaid as adorable, but I thought all of Aibou's boxers were adorable.

Then again, at times I liked them better off.

Today was one of those days. I hadn't initiated the idea on the plane. But I had certainly taken the hint and agreed quickly enough when Aibou noted that there wasn't a line for the bathroom and he felt a little stuffy in his seat.

But now I could tell that Aibou was upset. And I knew that it was about Bakura, so I resisted the urge to make dressing hard for Aibou and just watched instead.

"Aibou, we need to trust Bakura." He pulled an old t-shirt over his head and turned back towards me now, sitting down on the bed next to my knees.

"I know, but I feel like it's our fault for pushing the relationship."

"We didn't push it. I specifically told him that he shouldn't rush into anything. If he did, then it was his own fault."

"Mou Hitori no Boku…" Yugi looked sad and I sighed.

"Bakura's an adult, Aibou. He should be able to manage his own love life. If he can't then he's never going to get anywhere. Besides, haven't you noticed how he's been changing for the better? Have you ever seen Bakura as opinionated as he was at the party? He's finally standing up for himself. Plus he didn't go and spend half the evening lost in his own thoughts. He actually seemed to enjoy himself."

"Yeah but he seems like he's going back to the old Bakura now."

"Something happened, then. But I don't think it's our place to get involved. We'll only make things more difficult for him. We'll just have to wait for him to talk to us, if he wants to."

Aibou sighed and stretched his arms over his head with a groan. "Ugh, I hate plane trips. I always get so sore afterwards."

I grinned and moved so that I was kneeling behind him and started to massage his shoulders, enjoying the way he leaned into my touch and the feeling of his warm skin under the flimsy shirt.

"I know. And on the way back I'll take over so you can rest." I moved my hands to his neck and rubbed my thumbs in an arc from his ear down the tip of his spine. He fell back into my lap and I gave up, pulling the collar of his shirt down and kissing the soft curve of his neck.

He pushed himself back against me, scooting us father onto the bed.

Before I knew it he had rolled over and pinned me to the pillows against the headboard. His legs were positioned on either side of me and as I tried to protest he covered my mouth with his own, slowly parting his lips and running the tip of his tongue along my own.

I yielded reluctantly and rested my hands low on his hips. He pulled back for a breath of air then looked at me playfully. "Are these walls sound proof?" He asked, lowering his eyelids seductively and looking at me much as a cat would look at an injured bird.

"Can you hear Jonouchi snoring?" I returned the look, letting his hands run slowly down my sides to pull my belt out of the loops holding it in place.

"No." He replied, unzipping the fly and pulling the pants down over my hips.

"Then they're sound proof." I helped Yugi remove his own pajama bottoms then lifted my arms so he could pull my shirt off over my head.

"Good." He pushed his hips against mine and the thin fabric of his boxers didn't prevent me from feeling him against my legs.

"I told you not to bother putting those pajamas on."

He responded by kissing me again, and I let him continue. It was rare that Aibou preferred to be on top, and every once in a while I didn't mind relinquishing the position. Of course it was also uncommon for him to want to do this twice in one day.

I wasn't complaining though, as he turned off the lamp and our bodies slowly sank down onto the bed. One last article of clothing remained to be disposed of, and we soon took care of that.

There were distinct advantages to having a room to oneself.

.--Bakura--.

"There you are!" Anzu came running towards our group through the crowds of people outside the hotel. Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda rushed to meet her, and the rest of us walked over, calmer, but no less glad.

Yesterday had been relatively uneventful. No one had enough energy to go anywhere, so most of us spent the day in our rooms relaxing.

Jonouchi and Honda got bored of that quickly, though, so they went off to wreak havoc on the hotel's swimming pool; Mai and Shizuka eventually joined them. Since this left Yugi, Otogi, and myself alone in our suite, we decided to enjoy the relative peace and quiet.

Yugi had picked up a magazine somewhere between here and the airport, and he had quickly flipped to the puzzle section. I kept expecting him to approach me again, or at least to give me one of those concerned looks he'd been giving me the whole day. But the only words we exchanged were him asking me to translate the directions of a spatial reasoning puzzle and me complying.

While he had worked on that, I had pulled out my laptop and attempted to work some more on my essay. I hadn't touched it in two days, which was actually yesterday by this time zone's date. But to me it felt like two days.

I had made significant progress the day after Christmas, in between packing and thinking about the previous evening. But as I reread everything I had written, none of it made sense.

I had soon given up and gone in search of a book or newspaper hoping to brush up on my English. I found that when I began speaking a foreign language, it was like a switch turned on in my mind, and I began to _think_ in that language. My teachers had said this was ideal, and it meant I was truly comfortable speaking that language, at least conversationally.

But I found it inconvenient at times like this, where I had to constantly alternate between English and Japanese. It meant that I actually had to stop and tell myself to speak Japanese, and occasionally I would slip up and greet one of my friends in English, earning a confused look (or a dumbfounded one in certain cases). Otogi was the only other person in our group who spoke decent English.

When I had returned to the hotel room he had fallen back asleep, and Yugi was working on a different puzzle.

The rest returned soaking wet and exhausted a few hours later. They also fell asleep early, and pretty soon we had all gone to bed, though it was only six in the evening.

And that was yesterday.

Now we were standing outside our hotel in a massive round of hugs and greetings.

"Anzu!"

"It's been so long!"

"How have you been?"

"You guys haven't changed at all!"

"Well you certainly have!" Mai exclaimed, as we finally settled down to one person talking at a time. "Anzu, you look great." She winked and Anzu blushed a bit.

"Well, they really do make you work hard in this company. I have lost a little weight."

The girls all agreed and started talking about how hard it was to stay toned… I admit I lost interest halfway through the first sentence.

"Oh, Bakura-kun, I heard about your apartment! How's your arm?" I smiled and shrugged.

"It's okay. It only hurts if I bump into something or lay on it too long."

"Well that's good."

"Hey! So when are we going to get some food?" Jonouchi looked around at all of us eagerly, and Anzu burst out laughing.

"You, most of all, haven't changed a bit. I forgot Jonouchi couldn't go two minutes without eating. He's right, why don't we all go grab lunch. There's a nice restaurant just down the street a bit."

She led us through the packed sidewalks to a small bistro and we all sat down around a table in the back to wait for our food. Jonouchi and Honda had ordered first, so their food was the first to be finished.

Before the woman at the counter could call out their numbers they were up there, whisking away the food and seating themselves back down at our table. They were apparently ravenous; I don't think they were even breathing as they shoved the food into their mouths.

"Oh, where is Otogi-kun?" Anzu looked at us, confused.

"Oh, well," Yugi started to explain. "He was the one who arranged this whole trip because he said he could get us cheap tickets and reservations through his company. But because that meant him arranging this as though it was a business trip, he actually has to go and do some work while he's here."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"He'll be back tomorrow," I added. Everyone looked at me a little surprised and I realized this was the first sentence I had spoken since we'd left the hotel. "That is…" It was hard to form a sentence with them all staring at me like that. "He said he would take care of it all today. Otogi-kun doesn't like dealing with his American business partners too much, he was always complaining back when we dormed together."

Awkward silence. Was it really that strange for me to talk?

"So, Bakura, I hear you've been staying with Kaiba-kun. How has that been?" Anzu asked. I could see Yugi make an uncomfortable face, although everyone else was relatively uninterested in this conversation since the party.

"Fine. But I'll be moving in with Otogi after we return. He just got a new apartment with two bedrooms, so that'll be pretty convenient."

"So, Anzu, we need you to help us figure out where to go today." Yugi switched the topic, and I couldn't help but think he did that on purpose. "Jonouchi and Honda wanted to see some of the more touristy places, and Mai and Shizuka wanted to go shopping too."

"Oh, well, I can give you a map of all the sites. As for shopping…" Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka began to discuss their own plans while the rest of us went up for our food and finished our lunch.

Jonouchi, in particular, announced his satisfaction with the meal.

"Jonouchi, you would enjoy anything edible." Honda remarked.

.------.

Somehow after that Yugi and I managed to get dragged along with the girls to go shopping. It wasn't so bad, really. Although I did wonder why they wanted to go shopping here in New York where everything was so much more expensive than it was in Japan.

They said that all the major labels were here, and some you couldn't find in Japan.

Yugi and I just shrugged and waited for them outside of each store, talking about how different New York was from Osaka and Domino. The crowds weren't so bad, especially compared to Tokyo. But all the signs were so strange. Beyond being in English characters instead of the familiar Kanji, they were also different in design.

Anzu took care of translating everything for the girls, so it was up to me to explain everything to Yugi. This part was fun, for me. I loved to look around and see how many words I recognized. This being my first time in an English speaking country since I began studying the language seriously, I was surprised to find that I understood most of what I was seeing.

I wondered how Jonouchi and Honda were managing, as they barely knew twenty words of English between the two of them. Hopefully Anzu's directions were good.

As the girls exited another store, arms loaded with bags, Anzu remarked that they should have forced Honda and Jonouchi to come along as well to carry the bags for them. I offered to help but they refused, saying I should go easy on my arm. And Yugi was deemed too short to help.

He pouted a little as we followed them down the streets to the next store.

The next day we all met up at a modern art exhibit Anzu had said she'd wanted to check out for a while. Otogi had joined us as well, and we quickly bought our tickets and filed into the first room.

"I don't get it." Jonouchi and Honda both stated in synchronization as we looked up at the first painting. It was a medium sized canvas covered in lime green oil paint with streaks of dark, slate blue as though the artist had painted the first layer in a moment of despair, and then hastily covered it up with a harsh, bright exoskeleton.

"It's representational, guys!" Anzu looked over at them annoyed, one hand on her hip the other gesturing as she further explained her meaning. "The artist is hiding something behind what he or she thinks to be a bright, happy surface. But the viewers can see that the brightness is false and painful."

Why did this sound uncomfortably familiar?

We moved on to the next wall, Jonouchi still looking a little confused.

"Oh, wow, look at this one!" Shizuka exclaimed. She ran up to the painting wide eyed and stood before it with her hands clasped together. "Isn't it great?"

"I still don't get it." Jonouchi frowned.

The painting was soft and pastel, with swirling strokes and muted tinges of gray amidst the pinks, blues, and yellows.

"I agree, Shizuka-chan. This one represents the delicate and soft beauty of a woman, combining the traditional feminine color of pink with her other, more striking attributes shining through in blues and golds. But, of course, this painting hardly compares to the real thing I see before me."

We all rolled our eyes as Honda continued to elaborate and Shizuka missed the point entirely, still enraptured with the piece.

"Shizuka-chan, your taste in art is truly impeccable."

"Jeez, even I'm not that bad." Otogi looked at the display with distaste. Jonouchi looked fed up with all this and started to strangle Honda.

"You don't even know what you're talking about, idiot!" He yelled out as Honda attempted to pry him off his back. Yugi and Shizuka quickly ran over to break up the argument as a security guard looked over at us warily.

Embarrassed, I looked back at the piece, hoping that no one would notice me or think that I was a part of the group.

I wondered how much the piece cost. It was probably priced absurdly high, as most modern art tended to be. More than I would make in a lifetime, most likely, especially considering the field I was going into.

Then again, some art was even less sensible than this painting. I'd seen a piece once that was just a red stripe along the left side with a large black smudge in the corner. It sold for one hundred thousand yen. I didn't get that at all.

And then there was what one of my classmates termed "emo" art. The paintings that were all dark, depressing, and mournful. Art that has no artistic value beyond it's depressing connotations of angst and sorrow. When I asked her why she was getting so worked up over it she explained it in terms I could understand.

"It's like when someone writes 'poetry' along the lines of this: blood, darkness, crimson red streaks fall from my wrist as I lay among the broken glass and finger the sharp edges of my life."

That nearly made me cry; not the poetry, but the idea that someone actually thought that was poetry. It was so bad I wanted to curl up in my bed and scream at the world. After that I understood what she meant when she said she didn't like emo-art.

I didn't understand what Shizuka saw in this piece, though. It really seemed boring to me. So had the previous piece. They were both hung right next to each other on the wall, and I wondered why whoever designed the exhibit had placed two relatively simple and solid color canvases right together.

The canvases even appeared to be the exact same size. Then, suddenly, I realized what the intention was. As I continued to look around the room I saw more and more equally sized canvases, each with two or three colors, but one predominant, overpowering color.

They were not equally spaced. Some had more space between the others. And some with almost the exact same color were placed side by side. But as my eyes passed over the entirety of the room, I began to understand the story they were telling. It was a progression of emotions, some gradual, and some strikingly abrupt.

Then, three-quarters of the way through, there hung a blank canvas. My eyes paused here, and I pondered the connotations of this lone, empty square. Was it the beginning? Was it the end? Or was it just the emptiness that we sometimes felt in life, which seemed to be such an interruption in our normal existence.

Did this artist feel the same way I did, when he hung this canvas? Did he stare at it for hours unable to put colors to his emotion because his life was just that – colorless? And what changed him? The next canvas was mostly a perfect, medium blue. At times the blue seemed green or purple, but I knew that it was really just blue.

Just like his eyes.

"If you spend this much time staring at one blank canvas, then you're going to be here for quite a long time."

_You can't be serious._

I knew that voice. Crap.

"Seto?" I spun around to find myself looking up into a familiar pair of perfect, medium blue eyes.

"Mr. Kaiba," an older woman behind him spoke in English. Her tag had her name on it and the word "guide" written in large, bold characters. "Would you like the know the artist statement for this piece. Or we can continue into the next room where one of our more-"

"I can manage on my own, thank you for your assistance." Kaiba replied, fluently. The woman walked away, glancing back uncomfortably. She had obviously been assigned to show Kaiba around, and now she looked lost herself.

Up until this moment I had been frozen, but as Kaiba directed his gaze back to me I felt the sudden urge to run far, far away. He stopped me though, by gently taking my hand in his own and leading me to the next room. My brain was too busy trying to figure out what he was doing here and wondering where Yugi and the others had gone for me to resist. So like a young child I followed him.

"One of my business associates called me yesterday to ask if I would be interested in meeting a partner of his. I probably haven't mentioned, but Mokuba and I have been working on developing more theme parks in various other countries, now that we are fairly established in America.

Well this partner apparently represents the EuroDisney branch and their theme park in France. My associate thought that we could meet and potentially discuss plans for building a theme park there in conjunction with Disney's.

Since my associate works here, in New York, and seeing as this is relatively halfway between France and Japan, we decided to meet here. My associate also said he knew of a few events I might be interested in attending.

Normally I would have refused, as this could all be conducted by e-mail or over the phone. But I'd hoped to run into you here."

I couldn't see Kaiba's expression as he said this. I was busy staring at the ground. Up until then I hadn't been able to say a word. I still couldn't think of anything, so I mumbled something about being surprised.

"Hn." Kaiba was still holding my hand as we stopped at the next display. "This one seems more cluttered." I looked up at the painting.

At first I thought he was right. The painting was a murky, abstract view of a city landscape crowded with lights, buildings, and streets that wove over and into each other chaotically.

"No, that's not quite right." I thought out loud. As I stared at the painting I began to see a pattern. It was so deeply set into the lines of the painting that at first glance it wasn't surprising that one couldn't see it. But it was there, very carefully laid out into the arcing curves of the shadows and precise edges of the concrete walls.

"Chaotic?" Seto suggested.

"No." I continued to stare, less at the painting now and more in an attempt to search my own mind. "It's meticulous." I felt the word come out without really meaning to say it. But once it had it just seemed right. No other words would quite work for the painting.

The next painting was huge. It was a ceiling to floor canvas with blocks of solid color forming the gesture of a woman in a large red hat and a deep blue coat.

"Bold." We both said at once. I turned to Seto and saw that he was smiling, slightly. I found myself doing the same, and then I suddenly became aware of the pressure and warmth of his hand around my own and that I was calling him Seto now in my mind too.

I blushed a little and we moved on again to a new painting. This one was of two women, nude but undetailed, tangled in the black limbs of a bare tree. The one woman, with long blonde hair, held a half eaten apple out to the other, whose hair was black and mercilessly short.

Their eyes were small pinpricks, and the entire painting suggested something lethal or threatening. We stood there a few moments before either of us spoke.

"Poisonous." Seto said. I nodded and we walked away from that painting as quickly as we could without seeming strange. I noticed that, again, I had though of him as Seto.

The process continued as we made our way through the exhibit. Sometimes, when we couldn't find a word, we would try to find something absolutely absurd or opposite the painting. And soon I found that almost all the anger I had felt towards Seto was gone. I was a little annoyed that he had ignored me in the car, but just being around him and knowing that he was here to see _me_ made that hard to hold on to.

"I just realized this is exactly what I needed for my essay!" I exclaimed as we finished naming the last painting in the exhibit.

Seto looked at me confused so I elaborated.

"It fits the second part of my thesis, that words have so much depth in their connotations and denotations. Therefore only one word is perfect for each painting. And that means that a picture is not worth a thousand words but truly just one!" I couldn't help but grin up at him as this huge burst of inspiration exploded inside me.

"I've never met anyone like you, Ryou." He responded, and his eyes made me feel like all the explosive happiness I had from my moment of brilliance was now centered in my stomach. So, of course, I blushed.

"Bakura-kun!" I spun around to see Yugi and the others running towards me from the other end of the exhibit entrance. "We were so worried, we didn't know where you had-"

They almost skidded to a halt as they realized just who was standing next to me. "Kaiba-kun!" Yugi's eyes traveled from me, to Seto, and then down to our hands, which were still clasped tightly. I quickly released my grip and waved my hands sheepishly.

"Sorry, Yugi-kun. I fell behind a little."

"Kaiba-teme!" Jonouchi yelled, thankfully in Japanese so no one could understand the expletive. "What do you think you're doing, abducting Bakura!"

"Baka inu." (2) Kaiba replied, coldly.

"I just lost track of time, Jonouchi-kun, when we were looking at that one painting. And then Seto showed up. He's here on business, what a coincidence, right? I apologize for making you all worry." I was smiling guiltily, stepping between Seto and Jonouchi to prevent either from pounding the other into the ground.

Seto had gotten cold again, and I could feel his tension emanating from him in waves.

Yugi made a similar move and positioned himself in front of Seto and myself. "We're on our way to the history museum, Kaiba-kun, if you wanted to join us."

Seto glared down at Yugi and replied harshly, "I don't have time to waste with-"

"Seto." I muttered, hoping he would understand that now was _not_ the time to be getting Jonouchi riled up even further.

Seto hesitated, and then started again. "I'm busy. Like Ryou said, I came here on business. I should get going." He looked down at me and I nodded, stepping off to the side with him and out of Yugi-tachi's hearing.

"What hotel are you staying at?" He spoke quietly, leaning close so that I had to look up again to talk to him.

"The Regency." I replied, my heart racing again with our proximity.

"Really?" He pulled back, a little surprised.

"Otogi-kun got us the reservations. He said he had some connections here."

"I'm not surprised." Kaiba looked off over the crowd then brushed my hand with his own before turning around. "I'll see you soon."

I watched him walk away then hurried back to the others.

.--Yugi--.

We all watched, astounded, as Kaiba and Bakura stepped off to the side and continued to talk in low voices. Kaiba seemed to be leaning in rather close to Bakura, and I noticed that Bakura wasn't pulling away as he normally did when people approached him like that.

They both smiled slightly before Kaiba turned away and started to walk off. Bakura returned to us a few seconds later, and we were all still silent with shock.

"Um… Bakura-kun. I know you were staying with Kaiba-kun, but…" Anzu looked very confused as her awkward fragments broke the silence. "Well, since when were you two on a first name basis?"

I could see Bakura's cheeks flush and Jonouchi grumbled behind me. "I've never heard them use first names before either."

"Oh shut up, Jonouchi. I'm hungry, why don't we go get something to eat and talk about this later." Honda pulled Jonouchi away by the arm and we all headed for the door.

I looked back and saw that Bakura was obviously relieved.

As we exited the building Anzu turned around. Jonouchi and Honda were arguing behind her about what they wanted for dinner. "So, Bakura, you never answered my question."

_Aibou, Bakura needs some help._

"Jeez, Jonouchi and Honda are walking stomachs, aren't they Bakura-kun?" I dropped back a little so that I was walking beside him and started laughing. "So, Anzu, where is this museum?"

"Oh, um… I'll just take you there now. There's a restaurant in the museum that serves just about everything." Jonouchi and Honda looked happy with this so we all started following her down the sidewalk.

"Thanks, Yugi-kun" Bakura whispered next to me.

"No problem." I responded, unable to stop myself from grinning.

_What are you so happy about? _Mou Hitori no Boku asked, curiously.

_Bakura-kun and Kaiba-kun were holding hands._

_Oh, I see._

_You were right; we didn't need to worry. Maybe Bakura-kun was just sad that he had to go away for a few days._

_Maybe. He did seem to be happy when he walked out with Kaiba, but when Kaiba started acting cold Bakura got that distant look again._

_Yeah…_

_But then again, he _did _reprimand Kaiba. That's a huge step for Bakura._

_You're right. _I smiled and thought to myself that things would be okay.

.------.

Notes…

(1) Okay, I had to include this somewhere. My mom was given a copy of the Star Wars III movie when she went to China on a business trip by one of her suppliers. Well at that point it was cool because it hadn't been released in the states yet on DVD. But when my best friend and I sat down to watch it we found out that you couldn't turn the English subtitles off. Well this wasn't a big deal so we kept on watching (The audio was in English, anyway). But about two seconds into the introduction we realized that the subtitles were screwed up beyond compare. They were talking about some girl who was mute and refused to move out of her house and marry this older man her parents betrothed her to! Then she went on to insist on keeping the chickens but leaving behind this dresser. Well after reading all of that, my friend and I were about to fall over. But then, as Pagmei (spelling?) told Anakin she was pregnant, the subtitles said "Anakin, I think you need another wife." We almost died laughing.

(2) Baka means idiot or stupid, and inu means dog. This is another of Kaiba's nicknames for Jonouchi

-

… And I thought this chapter would be short! It's the biggest one so far! And that's not including the author notes. Jeez!

Yami no Yugi: You put me on the bottom!?

SC: You know you like it.

Yami no Yugi: …

SC: I'm not going to waste time arguing with Mou Hitori no Yugi about who is uke in that relationship. I'm too excited to write chapter seven!

Yami no Yugi: What does that mean?

SC: Well, we'll just let the readers wait and see…

Yami no Yugi: You're evil.

SC: Not as evil as I will be at the end of the next chapter.

Special thanks to my stepdad for showing me where the currency conversion tables were in the newspaper. I've been up at my cottage for the past two days without any Internet access, which has made researching some of my information a little difficult. It's a good thing I printed out a bunch of my sources before we came up.

Onward!

--SC


	7. Transition

_Disclaimer: 3Y3 1)0 1\107 0\1\11\1 Yu6101-1_

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

Otogi: Since when do you speak leet?

SC: Since when do you monopolize the author's notes section?

Otogi: I do not monopolize it! Look at Yami no Yugi!

Yami no Yugi: I'm just sexier than you are.

SC: O.o

In other news… as a super special awesome bonus section at the end of this chapter I have included my YGOHPYBNYQTS file. Go ahead and read and you'll understand later. Or just cheat and scroll to the end.

By the way, Jessy-chan rules. Just in case you haven't figured that out by now.

-

Faikry: Yay! I was worried so much about these last few chapters and keeping everyone in character, so I'm glad you think I did so. Seto was hardest just because the whole idea of him being in love is OOC. I think you'll enjoy this chapter!

Ryuusui: Thanks for pointing out that typo. Somehow that was missed in the editing process. As for the baka inu vs. makeinu… As I understand it baka means idiot and make means pathetic. I haven't listened to the Japanese version of Yu Gi Oh enough to know if Kaiba really does call Jonouchi either, but it seemed to be an appropriate insult. I leave all my Japanese up to the discretion of my Beta, though. She actually speaks Japanese, so I trust her judgment. I may be wrong, though. Anyways, I apologize for the typo, and I hope the end of this chapter makes up for it //evil grin//.

FlyingShadow666: I missed you last week, lol. Just kidding…that sounded rather stalker-ish. Anyway, thanks for the review; I'm glad you're still so enthused.

-

**Transition**

n. A short passage connection two major themes or sections; the process of changing form, state, subject, or place.

.--Otogi --.

"Oh god, Bakura-kun, it was awful! I think I might understand how Kaiba-kun got the way he is if he has to deal with the same sort of people I just dealt with." I was laying across the chair in our shared bedroom, my head and legs dangling sideways off the armrests. You wouldn't think the position would be that comfortable, but I had a way of finding positions like this that were incredibly awkward and yet comfortable at the same time.

"I'm fairly certain he does." Bakura replied, rolling his eyes and smiling.

"Yeah, well, I pity him. And why are we going to a _ballet_? I thought Anzu-kun was into modern dance. I don't want to sit through a ballet the whole evening."

"This is a modern ballet, so it shouldn't be as bad as what you're thinking."

"Like the modern art that was supposed to be more interesting than traditional art?" I glowered at the place where the wall met the ceiling. What did you call that place, anyway?

Bakura sighed and continued to get dressed, turning away modestly as he pulled off his t-shirt and buttoned up a nicer collared shirt.

I returned to my contemplation of the ceiling. You couldn't call it a corner, because it was only the meeting of two surfaces. Was it an edge? A rim? The top of the wall? The side of the ceiling? This was really going to bother me until I figured it out.

"Bakura-kun? What do you call the place where the wall and ceiling meets?"

He turned to met, exasperated. "I have no idea, Otogi-kun. Does it matter?"

"Of course it does!" I whined. "Gah, this is annoying. Why isn't there a word for it!"

"Wouldn't it just be a corner?" I sighed at his reply.

" Noooo, _that's_ a corner." I pointed at the actual corner.

"But think of a square on a piece of paper. The corner is where two sides meet, so you only need two planes to make a corner." He shrugged and continued to pack.

I looked up at the "corner" angrily. Again, an inanimate object had beaten me. So instead I picked up a pen from the desk and started to flip it over and under the fingers of my right hand. I was already dressed anyway. And truthfully I didn't really think this was going to be as boring as I'd said. I was just in the mood to complain.

The incident with Kaiba was bothering me. I could tell that Bakura didn't want to talk about it in front of everyone, but I sort of wished he'd talk to me about it. I had noticed a change in their relationship ever since Bakura started staying at his apartment. Almost instantly they seemed to get more comfortable around each other.

It was obvious they were in a relationship. To me at least. Maybe it was because I knew Bakura better than the others, and I knew that walking around the whole day smiling and sighing was not normal for him. The sighing was normal, but not the way he was doing it.

I felt, jealous, almost. Not that I had ever thought about Bakura as anything but a friend, but there had been a time when I had attempted to do what Kaiba seemed to have done without trying.

Back in our last year of high school and our first two years of college I had noticed that although Bakura was always saying he was okay, he really wasn't. Granted, everyone who had even the slightest acquaintance with Bakura knew this, but I saw that it wasn't just when we asked, it was all the time. He was always pretending to be okay, when really there always seemed to be some underlying sadness.

At first I just assumed that he was socially awkward. I, of course, knew I could fix that easily. So I set about trying to get him to come out of his shell. But I soon saw that this wasn't the problem.

It was one evening, our second semester of college, that I discovered the letters. Bakura had been sitting at his desk writing, as was usual for him on school evenings. I never had understood why Bakura preferred to write instead of using his laptop. Granted, he did have to type his papers eventually, but all of his notes and outlines he kept in a large spiral bound notebook.

Out of the blue a classmate had come in asking for his help on an assignment, and Bakura had agreed readily.

This would have been the end of it if a sudden gust of wind hadn't blown his papers all over the floor. I, being the kind roommate I was, got up to gather the papers and place them back on the desk when I noticed that what I held were letters – not notes – and they were written to a girl.

My first thought was, of course, Bakura's got a girlfriend! Finally! And then, being a friend, I couldn't possibly _not_ read his love letters. But as I picked up the first letter and began to read over the messy cursive, I was shocked by what I found.

_Dear Amane,_

_How have you been? I'm doing okay. Classes are going great, and Otogi-kun is being his usual self. You know how that is. But I still can't shake this feeling I've been having. Or rather, this lack of feeling._

_The last time I wrote I mentioned that I was feeling disconnected. Well it hasn't gone away. I just can't help but wonder why I don't feel like I'm a part of the world around me. Is it because I am still afraid to get close to people? The dark spirit is gone, but is this something he's permanently left me with, a fear to connect?_

_I feel like I will drown if I let my walls down. All those emotions that come with having friends – happiness, anger, worry – they're too overwhelming. I don't know if I could handle the pressure of caring so much for the world. I cannot make everyone happy, but if I don't I will feel guilty; I will feel like it is my fault. I know what you would tell me, I'm taking the weight of the world on my shoulders. I can't help it._

_I hope things are nice up there in heaven. Please don't worry about me; I won't be seeing you soon._

_Love, your big brother,_

_Ryou_

I had never been told that Bakura had a little sister, or that she had died. He never mentioned it to me, and when I asked Yugi the reply was the same. It seemed that he'd never told anyone. So I never brought it up.

I replaced the papers just as they had been on Bakura's desk. And when he came back and eyed them suspiciously I only said they'd fallen off the desk so I'd picked them up, then chastised him for leaving the window open.

I didn't understand what he meant in the letter. All I knew was that Bakura was hiding a lot from all of us, and there didn't seem to be a way to help him.

I really tried. I chastised him for spacing out all the time, and I told him he needed to smile more, but it never seemed to work. There was something he needed that I just couldn't give.

It seemed that Kaiba had been that. And now I was jealous that I couldn't help my own best friend.

But this was my only issue. No matter how I thought about, I couldn't bring myself to hate Kaiba. In fact, I was glad that someone had finally gotten through to Bakura. And eventually I realized that even though he was an insensitive jerk who in no way deserved Bakura, I couldn't deny that Bakura was better for their relationship.

"Are you ready Otogi?" I snapped back to attention and looked at Bakura who was waiting expectantly by the door.

"Yeah," I muttered. As I attempted to roll off the chair I oh-so-gracefully landed on my butt. Bakura laughed and I stood up, pouting. "That didn't happen."

"Right." He grinned and we both walked out into the common area.

Bakura really was my best friend. Out of everyone else in our mutual circle of friends he was the only one who accepted all the odd, and sometimes idiotic things I did. I never seemed to bother him. That or he just put up with me like he did with everybody.

But in a lot of ways I felt like I could trust him. I hadn't really confided in him, but I felt like I could if I wanted to. Honda was also like that, and I'd found myself becoming his friend after our longtime rivalry ended. But he wasn't like Bakura; he just gave me weird looks when I voiced my inane ramblings, and he was an idiot too.

Bakura wasn't an idiot. His sanity… well… Not including the actions of the evil spirit, he was pretty sane too. Compared to Jonouchi, at least. He did silly things like hide his emotions and let people push him around, but he was smart.

And that's just why I had been worried about him and Kaiba. This realization hit me as I watched him dodge a flying Jonouchi, who had just been thrown off Honda. Fortunately the realization wasn't Jonouchi, or I might have fallen over.

I was worried that Kaiba would push Bakura around, and that Bakura would let him. But so far it seemed to be going the other way; Bakura was pushing Kaiba around (an interesting image, if I do say so myself).

"Well then," I dropped my arm around Bakura's shoulders and pulled him off to the side. "I will allow you to date Kaiba-kun. But if he ever hurts you, I will hunt him down and subject him to tortures that even your little shadow realm couldn't conjure." To him this statement must have been very random, but he was used to that.

"O-Otogi-kun?" He blushed furiously and I grinned. Everyone else was currently dealing with a pissed off Jonouchi, so they weren't listening to our conversation.

"What, you think your best friend is blind? I saw you two practically making out yesterday." He blushed even more and I noted how much I loved to tease him. "Just kidding."

"Okay, Otogi-kun. Glad to know I have your 'permission'." Bakura rolled his eyes and walked away, shaking his head to get rid of the redness in his face.

I was satisfied, for now.

Well that was until we all sat down in our seats at the theatre. I was forced to listen to Jonouchi complain the whole way about not wanting to watch some girly ballet then make Bakura translate the story summary for him. Did I really sound this immature when I complained about the ballet? I felt bad now.

"Well, it seems that this company has taken the classical ballet 'The Firebird' and done a modern interpretation. Originally the ballet was about a prince who, while hunting, caught the legendary firebird and in exchange for her promise of magical assistance, he released her. On his way home he finds a garden filled with statues and falls in love with a princess he meets there. He vows to break her enchantment and make her his bride, so he battles this great wizard and all the statues, and with the firebird's help, defeats them. They only say that they are reinterpreting this ballet, though. They don't say exactly how."

"Oh, okay. Well if it has a big battle scene then it ought to be good." I rolled my eyes.

"So how did you know all that, Bakura-kun?" I asked, curious.

"Well, in my cultural studies class we had a unit on theatre, and this was one of the stories we read when we were studying European theatre."

"Oh, okay." I was about to ask more, but the lights blinked three times and the audience began to quiet down. The lights faded entirely soon after and the curtain opened slowly.

.--Bakura--.

The interpretation, I had to admit, was unusual. The plot was largely omitted from the ballet, and instead they had the dances set on a dark stage with various multicolored spotlights following each dancer.

The first dance was the male lead, and Anzu soon joined in as the firebird. The two took turns dancing until the male lead was proclaimed the victor. The guy was more classically dressed in a leotard and tights, although he had a T-shirt on over the leotard, and his choreography was more lyrical and fluid. Anzu, on the other hand danced to a much more upbeat tempo. She was dressed in similar attire, though she wore red sneakers and a black baseball cap.

The next scene introduced the statues and the princess. In this version there was only one princess instead of twelve. The statues performed a rigid, robotic routine and the princess twirled amongst them, paired for a set of counts with each one. Her choreography matched the male lead's smooth flow.

The statues then moved aside and the two lovers performed a pax de duet, keeping to the traditional movements but adding in more soft, expressive movements.

Lastly the statues interrupted their dance and the hero attempted to out dance each one. But after two he collapsed with exhaustion, and the statues remained unaffected. Then Anzu returned and danced against the other six, defeating each one and reuniting the princess and her lover.

Throughout the entire ballet I saw that Anzu was by far the best performer. The other two leads were technically superior, but it was far more interesting to watch Anzu, whose movements conveyed her passion for dance much more clearly.

She received the loudest applause of them all at the final bow. Even Jonouchi whistled as she came center stage, between the two leads, and curtsied gracefully.

As we waited for the crowds to clear out I began to remember the lectures we'd had on dance, and on theatre in general. I remember thinking about Anzu as we covered this section, and appreciating just what she was going through.

The dance world was extremely competitive. And now I understood why she had taken the first opportunity she got to join a company. It was amazing that she had landed a lead role in just two years, but then again she was obviously a good dancer.

Seto and I had worked together on a project in this unit. We were asked to research the process of making a pointe shoe. I was shocked when we learned that dancers were actually expected to dance on nothing but a block of stiffened leather. The shoe was designed to support the dancer's arch, which relieved their toes of some of the weight. But otherwise they were entirely balanced on the tip of one, single bone.

Also the process was not easy, as each shoe needed to be custom fitted to the dancer's foot, making the shoes extremely expensive. The shoes cost at least 12,000 yen for a pair, and that didn't include the ribbons or the toe pads they used for protection.

And considering that a dancer went through a pair of pointe shoes every few months, this added up.

It had been around this time when I'd realized that Kaiba was different in class than he was around Yugi and the others. It was the first time we'd actually had to due research together. Up until then we'd only talked together in class or small group discussions.

I realized then that we worked well together, despite his intimidating attitude.

Of course, at the time, I hadn't really paid much attention. But now, thinking back to this simple realization, I couldn't help but remember all the other small realizations, and the overwhelmingly huge one. I really couldn't get over Kaiba.

Even though he reverted right back to his old self when we met Yugi-tachi, and even though he spends most of his time working instead of paying attention to others, and even though he doesn't seem to notice anyone outside of his own little universe, I was still crazy about him. How did that work?

I know how. He _wasn't _cold hearted. He _didn't_ always put work before others. And he _did_ care about the people in his life. I saw this in the way he smiled and when he admitted that he knew he wasn't easy to get along with.

He had taken two days off now to spend time with me, and to surprise me on Christmas. Plus, I had no idea what kind of responsibilities came with being the CEO of a multinational corporation. I shouldn't fault him for being busy; I should give him credit for his dedication and respect his hard work.

But even so…

Even if I did understand all this, would that make a difference? Would that make it okay when he chose work over me?

I sighed, telling myself to just make up my mind already!

After most of the people had exited our row we all stood up and made our way towards the door Anzu had instructed us to find. She had told us the exit was actually on the side of the building, and that it was the closest one to the backstage entrance; we were to meet her there as soon as she could get changed.

The crowds were still milling around after we left the theater, though, and I winced as someone bumped into my arm, sending a shooting pain up through my shoulder.

I fell back a bit as I waited for the feeling in my arm to return, and when I looked up I had lost track of the group. As I stood on my tiptoes to look over the crowd I thought I saw a familiar figure in the distance.

"Seto?" I saw the figure turn around, but I lost sight of him before I could be sure. After a group of people passed I looked back in that direction and I wondered if I'd really seen anyone at all.

"Hey, Bakura, hurry up!" I saw Jonouchi off to the side, the others in a small circle around him. I dashed over, dodging a few people, careful not to bump my arm again.

We didn't have to wait too long for Anzu to find us. Her face was flushed and she looked slightly out of breath, but she seemed very excited. "What did you guys think?" She called out.

"You were so amazing, Anzu-san!" Shizuka ran up and hugged her, shoving a bouquet of flowers in her arms and smiling broadly. "You're such a great dancer."

We all congratulated her, and she held her flowers shyly. Yugi gave her a hug as well and gave her his own bouquet. "I always knew you could do it, Anzu!"

For some reason it struck me that Yami no Yugi hadn't been around at all on this trip since we met up with Anzu. I wondered if he and Anzu were still on bad terms after what had happened between them. I'd heard that she had confessed her feelings to Yami no Yugi shortly before he and Yugi told the group that they were a couple.

He obviously hadn't returned the feelings, and I don't think they ever really felt comfortable around each other. But Yugi and Anzu seemed as close as ever, so I could only assume that the spirit maintained the separation so Yugi didn't feel awkward.

Just then Jonouchi let out another exclamation of hunger, sending us all into slightly twitchy fits of annoyance.

The restaurant Otogi took us to was very nice. He grinned and said it was another of his "connections". It was a newer establishment with large glass paneled walls that allowed one an almost unobstructed view of the city. The lights were a combination of light blue and warm gold, giving the place a mysterious sort of atmosphere.

I found the tables strange, though. We were seated at the far end against one of the few solid walls. The booths here were tucked into the wall, surrounding half of the circular tables; chairs were placed around the other half.

There were eight seats total, leaving one empty one between Otogi and I. Suddenly a well-dressed man approached our table and greeted Otogi cheerfully.

"Otogi-san, it's nice to see you again! It has been a while, hasn't it, since we last talked?" Otogi stood up and shook his hand cordially.

"It has. I take it business has been good?" They were conversing in English, and I saw Anzu translating for the rest of the group.

"Of course."

"Good." Otogi sat back down and the manager asked if we were ready to order our drinks. Before we could reply he had called over a waitress and instructed her to see to whatever we wanted, our dinner was on the house.

I had wondered how we were going to pay in such a nice place. For some reason I hadn't known that Otogi had so many connections here in the states, or anywhere for that matter. But as I thought about it I realized that, unlike Seto, Otogi hadn't had a huge sum of money to start out with. He must have relied on making connections like these to take his game to where it was today.

Getting cheap airfare so he could fly out here, reserving nice hotel rooms for his clients, and treating them to meals like this would certainly have been important in making a good impression and getting them to accept his proposals.

We placed our drink orders, or rather Anzu, Otogi, and I placed everyone else's, and then we returned to our conversation.

"Jeez, all the names on this menu are so fancy, I don't know what to order!" Jonouchi scrutinized the menu carefully, and I found it odd that Jonouchi would have such a difficult time with something regarding food.

After all, when we had studied English in high school the food unit had been the only one he'd done well in.

"I'm not surprised, you must have never been in a place this nice before, make inu." An all too familiar voice behind me teased.

I turned around, surprised. "Seto!" I found myself smiling like an idiot as I saw that it really was him leaning over my chair.

"Kaiba! Why the hell are you here?" Jonouchi growled from the other side of the table.

Seto just casually pulled out the empty chair and sat down as though nothing were unusual. "I had a feeling you would all be coming here." I blinked, confused, and Jonouchi shouted with indignation at being ignored.

"Hey, listen to me! You can't just waltz on over and sit your sorry ass down at our table!" Jonouchi glowered across the expanse of wood and glasses between the two of them.

"Stop embarrassing yourself." Seto smirked, then turned to Otogi, who was to his left. "How is the manager's son doing? I heard he was handling the production of your game here in the states."

"Michael? He's doing great. He's one of the few smart ones over here." Otogi seemed to be taking all of this in stride.

"I take it you don't mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead, if you really want to." Otogi shrugged.

Jonouchi growled again, then yelped as someone (I assumed it was Mai) kicked him under the table.

"Congratulations, Anzu, on your performance this evening." Seto continued, his voice sounding a little strained. I couldn't help but notice how skillfully he had worked himself into the group, as though his presence wasn't unusual at all. "I was there with my associate; unfortunately, the man we were to meet with tonight has had some flight delays and we had to postpone our engagement to tomorrow. I'm sure he would have enjoyed the show as well."

Anzu stammered out a thank you, and everyone else looked shocked. But Yugi quickly started up the conversation, eliminating the awkward silence that followed Seto's compliment.

I felt him take my hand under the table, and I looked down at my plate, blushing. I was unable to join in the conversation, too busy thinking about Kaiba's hand and this sudden transformation.

He'd never been this polite around Yugi-tachi before. But then again, when I looked back at him I got the feeling that his manners were forced. He didn't really seem to be interested in the current conversation, and he'd been silent since he'd taken his seat.

My observations were interrupted though, as the waitress – seeing the new arrival – quickly came over and asked if Seto would like something to drink.

"Do you have a Pinot Grigio?"

"Not a good one, Mr. Kaiba. We have a wonderful Chardonnay, though."

"What about a Sancerre?"

"That too."

"I'll have a glass, then."

The whole order was conducted in fluent English. Seto's accent was perfect, and if I didn't know better I'd say he'd been speaking English his whole life.

"Seto?" I asked, quietly. "Isn't the drinking age here twenty-one?"

He smirked in response. "That hardly applies in an establishment like this. Otogi probably didn't mention it, but this place often caters specifically to international business clientele. It would hurt their reputation to refuse their clients a glass."

"Oh." I felt a little embarrassed for having asked. The waitress returned with Seto's glass.

"Is everyone ready to order?" The waitress addressed the rest of us. Otogi ordered first, also in English although a little less smoothly, followed by Seto, and then myself. I had gotten used to the jump between Japanese and English over the past few days, so my English was almost as good as Seto's.

Anzu placed her order next, then Honda a little awkwardly, and then Shizuka in short and sweet English that was not grammatically perfect, but more than acceptable as she punctuated it with a large smile.

Jonouchi failed miserably and Mai helped him pronounce the names before ordering for herself, and finally Yugi who seemed to remember just enough to order the food and thank the waitress politely.

"Bakura-san," Shizuka looked across the table at me with her large, questioning eyes. "When did you learn to speak English so well?"

"Oh, I'm majoring in linguistic studies, so I've taken classes in English, Spanish, and Chinese. I just know English best because we also studied it in high school."

"I'm impressed, Bakura-kun." Anzu grinned. "I never knew you were so interested in foreign languages."

"Ah, well, I didn't really know until I took a few classes my first semester in college." I realized that Seto was still holding my hand, even though his drink had arrived and this forced him to hold the glass with his left hand.

Then again, Seto was probably ambidextrous, so it didn't matter. But it occurred to me that maybe, instead of holding Yugi-tachi in contempt, Seto was actually just uncomfortable around them.

Maybe, like Otogi and I did sometimes, he felt like an outsider. That would account for his forced politeness.

I squeezed his hand reassuringly and smiled back at Anzu. "So, you must have spent months preparing for your performance. The lighting looked very complex, and the ballet was well choreographed." I hoped, having studied this topic together, Seto would feel more comfortable with this conversation.

The tension in his shoulders seemed to release a little, and I suppressed a laugh.

"Yeah, it was a lot of work. But I've made so many friends here in New York, so it was all worth it. I'm glad I didn't join a larger, better known company, though. Otherwise it would have been too competitive, and I wouldn't have been able to connect with so many people. I also wouldn't have gotten a lead role!"

The conversation eventually moved on and divided between the group. I could hear Seto talking to Otogi about some business merger that had recently occurred. And though he never let go of my hand I could tell he was a lot more relaxed.

By the time we had finished everyone was feeling pretty tired, and we agreed to head back to the hotel before we fell asleep at the table. Otogi said good-bye to the manager as we left and complimented the dinner, his restaurant, and told him his son was an excellent employee. The manager seemed satisfied with this and told Otogi he could come back any time he wished.

It was chilly as we stepped out into the streets, but overall the weather in New York had been fairly mild.

"Well, I'll see you guys later!" Anzu waved as she dashed off to catch a cab, and we shouted our goodbyes after her.

"Would you like a ride back to the hotel, Ryou?" Seto, who had eventually released my hand, was standing close to me again and leaning over so that I could feel his breath on my ear.

"Oh no you don't, Bakura's coming with _us_!" Jonouchi exclaimed as he dragged me off, fortunately by my left arm.

"I'll see you soon, Seto!" I yelled back, watching as Seto nodded and shook his head a little at Jonouchi's exuberant antics.

The walk back to the hotel was short, but we were still cold by the time we got up into our rooms. I was making my way to my room to change into something warm when Jonouchi jumped in my way.

"Okay, Bakura, I demand an explanation. I can understand you defending Kaiba; you always defend everyone, whether or not they deserve it. And I can understand if you and Kaiba are on a first name basis, I guess, seeing as he did save your life. But now this? Since when does Kaiba decide to join our group for dinner?"

"It's not a big deal, Jonouchi-kun." I tried to calm him down, waving my arms defensively.

"I agree, Bakura." Mai looked at me suspiciously. "I couldn't believe my eyes, Kaiba was actually civil! I didn't know how to react."

"Why do you all insist on thinking so low of him!?" I shouted, feeling myself getting more upset than I meant to.

Mai, Honda, and Jonouchi looked at each other then shrugged.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it had something to do with the way he used Yugi's grandpa to manipulate Yugi into dueling him!"

"Or when he threatened to commit suicide if Yugi beat him." Mai added.

"Yeah, and he even refused to land the battle city ship, even though you and Mai were unconscious and in critical condition." Honda finished.

"People change." I muttered.

"Not Kaiba Seto." Jonouchi muttered back.

"That's enough!" Yugi shouted over us all, and I looked over, astonished.

"What do you mean, Yu – oh, Atem." When Jonouchi saw that it was Yugi's other self that had spoken, and not Yugi himself, he backed off a little. The glare on the pharaoh's face was enough to frighten anyone.

"Bakura's business is his own. Now I think we could all use some sleep." Jonouchi grumbled a bit, and Mai looked away embarrassed as we all left for our respective rooms.

Before he left Jonouchi turned around and grinned sheepishly. "Eh, just as long as you don't actually become _friends_ with Kaiba!" He winked at me, and I smiled back, accepting the apology.

Jonouchi turned away, satisfied, and the door to the other suite shut quietly.

"I have to say, Bakura, I am impressed. Just look what you did to Kaiba, he's actually behaving." Otogi grinned, and I blushed a little.

"Ugh, jet lag is killing me." Yugi yawned, and I saw that it was actually Yugi this time. Otogi and I agreed and we turned off the light, falling into our beds and going right to sleep.

.----.

The next evening Otogi, Mai, Shizuka, Yugi, and I set out for Times Square. Jonouchi and Honda had decided to get there super early and take turns holding a spot, since Anzu had mentioned that it would be packed later on. We'd agreed to meet there, using our cell phones to find each other, and the others had convinced me to come along and at least check it out before I went back to the hotel.

I wasn't really interested in making my way through all those crowds just to see the place, but I didn't have much else to do and Yugi had been very convincing. How _does_ Yami no Yugi resist that innocent face?

As we passed a busy looking restaurant the door suddenly swung open and a tall man ran into me as he turned around to talk with the person behind him. Of course I managed to trip over nothing as he did so, ungracefully falling onto my right elbow. This was just not my week, I thought as my arm protested the rough treatment violently.

"Oh, forgive me, sir." The man looked down and apologized in English with a strange, nasal sounding accent.

"Bakura-kun! Are you okay?" Yugi came running back, but before he could reach me a pair of strong arms helped me up and the tall man continued to apologize profusely, "I guess I'm still a bit tired."

I looked up at the person helping me, not surprised to find a familiar pair of blue eyes looking at me with concern. "Are you alright, Ryou?" Seto asked in English. The man with the accent looked surprised.

"Kaiba-san, do you know him?" He asked, his accent making his mixed Japanese and English a little difficult to understand.

"We share an apartment, actually." Seto replied curtly.

Unaffected by his cold reply, the other man just laughed. "What a coincidence! I didn't know you had a roommate, are you old friends then? My name is Pierre, and yours?" He extended a hand and I took it, awkwardly, as my arm was still sore.

"Bakura Ryou." I replied. I noticed that Seto still had his hand around my shoulders, but Pierre didn't seem to notice that Seto was glaring daggers at him or that the atmosphere was extremely awkward.

"Well, I'd better be off. It was nice to meet you, Kaiba-san; I look forward to my visit to Japan this coming Thursday. We'll talk more then, in the meantime, enjoy your New Years!" He walked off coolly, and I felt Seto's grip on my shoulder tighten.

"He's either oblivious or the most easy-going person I've met. But he's an influential businessman, I'll give him that." Seto looked down at me and his expression softened. "Where were you off to now?"

"We were all going to Times Square," Yugi replied, smiling a little mischievously. "But Bakura was only going to go check it out before heading back to the hotel." I saw where this was going.

So did Seto. "In that case, why don't you have dinner with me, Ryou? Seeing as you don't have any other plans." I looked at Yugi and he nodded, anxiously. The rest of the group had paused and was looking back at us curiously.

"That'd be great," Yugi replied for me, and Seto looked at me for affirmation. I nodded and smiled shyly.

"See you guys back at the hotel!" I called out as Yugi returned to the group. I was relieved that I didn't have to continue as the sidewalk was already beginning to get too crowded for me.

A town car pulled up to the curb beside us, and Seto opened the door for me as I slid into the seat. Seto sat down close beside me and shut the door, sealing off the sounds of the passersby outside. He told the driver to take us back to the Four Seasons hotel, and I looked at him astounded.

"Are you really staying there?" I exclaimed without thinking.

Seto laughed, "Why do you seem so surprised?" He asked, raising one eyebrow mockingly.

I shrugged and looked out the window. We were passing by a park, and I couldn't help but think that it would have been beautiful in the summer. Right now, since all the snow had melted, it only had a lonely, wet sort of beauty that didn't fit my mood at all.

It took us a while to reach the hotel, what with traffic being so congested. Somewhere in that time frame Seto had laid his arm over my shoulders and pulled me closer. I didn't resist, leaning my head on his shoulder again. This time, though, I was very, very awake.

Seto led me into the hotel once we arrived, and I looked around fascinated by the elegance of the decorations. And I had thought the hotel I was staying at was nice! The lobby walls and pillars were entirely covered with marble, and the floor was an inlaid tile design that looked like a cross between a Celtic knot and a spider web.

The lights were all a warm yellow, either recessed or hidden behind subtle fixtures that reminded me of Shoji panels.

"Would you prefer to eat in the restaurant or in my suite?" Seto watched me as I stared at the lobby, feeling like I wasn't dressed nice enough to even work here, let alone be a guest. Well, technically I was the guest of a guest.

"Where's your room?" I looked at Seto expectantly.

"Second highest floor with a balcony overlooking the city, of course." He smirked. I grinned broadly.

"Are you kidding?"

"I take it we'll be eating up there, then." Seto waved over an attendant and told them to send menus up to his room. The attendant dashed off immediately and Seto placed his hand on my back, leading me to the elevators.

As I stepped into the suite and saw the aforementioned balcony I audibly gasped and dashed over to the doorway. "Wow!"

Seto handed me a menu calmly, smiling a little at my reaction. "What would you like?"

I quickly browsed the menu then pointed at the dessert section. "Chocolate cheesecake." Seto shrugged and didn't comment on my choice of dinner.

He quickly placed the order over the hotel phone then came back over to the window and unlatched the doorway, opening it out onto the balcony. We stepped outside, and I was glad I'd worn my jacket, as up here there was a cold breeze.

The city spilled out before us beyond the wrought iron balcony, and I could just see the large, brightly lit sphere that marked Times Square in the distance.

Seto's hand was at my waist now, and I felt him pulling me gently into him.

Suddenly his cell phone started ringing insistently and he pulled it out of his pocket looking frustrated. I could hear a small voice on the other end and he looked at me apologetically.

"I need to take this," Seto muttered. I nodded, a little upset, as he walked over into another room.

A few minutes later the waiter arrived with the champagne and my dessert. I saw that Seto hadn't ordered anything for himself as the waiter carried the tray out onto the balcony. He poured two flutes of champagne, elegantly balancing the bottle over his arm and returning it to a bucket of ice after.

I looked down at the small table he'd set the tray down on, and realized that Seto had also ordered me a glass of orange juice to mix with my wine. I poured half the contents into the flute, glad that Seto had remembered my low tolerance for alcohol, and took a sip. The drink was unexpectedly bubbly and sweet. I'd never had champagne before.

I could hear Seto talking from the other room, and I sighed, feeling ignored again. I swallowed a large gulp of the champagne and walked over to the balcony ledge, looking over the edge at the people far, far below. Feeling a little silly I leant farther over until I was almost parallel to the ground.

I heard footsteps behind me as Seto returned and set his phone down on a table before coming outside and picking up his own glass. I felt him lean over me, placing his hands on top of mine. His chin was resting on my shoulder, and I could feel the whole length of his body against my back.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, nonchalantly.

"The lights." I responded, straightening up a little and feeling lightheaded.

"Hn." He replied, and I shivered slightly as a gust of wind blew over the rooftops. "Are you cold?" He pressed his body a little closer to mine and I felt my pulse quicken.

"I'm fine," I whispered.

"You-" He was interrupted as a loud cheer erupted from somewhere off in the city and we heard a million voices in unison start counting down the seconds.

We could see the large, brightly lit ball from the balcony, and we both waited as it slowly began to fall towards the ground until an even greater cry rose up and fireworks exploded over the city.

I turned around and raised my glass to toast Seto, but he hadn't expected this and we ended up awkwardly leaning over the railing, our faces close enough to feel each other's breath on our mouths.

Seto looked at me surprised for a moment before closing his eyes and slowly brushing his lips against my own. The kiss was so soft I barely felt the tingle of contact between our mouths, but it was soon followed by another, more confident one, and another, and another.

"Happy New Year, Ryou." He whispered between kisses. Our mouths locked together again, and this time I felt the warmth of his mouth on mine.

"Happy New Year, Seto." I replied, looking up at him with half lidded eyes.

The kisses started softly, but grew longer and deeper each time. I pulled back to catch my breath and Seto deftly removed the wine glass from my hand and set it on the table, placing his arms around my waist and pulling me back from the ledge.

With my hands now free I wrapped them around his shoulders and pulled myself up to another, harder kiss. The fireworks were still exploding behind us, but I could hardly hear them over the pounding of blood in my ears.

I moaned and parted my lips, letting him slide his tongue over my mouth and further in. I couldn't breathe, but I couldn't pull away as we held each other fiercely, our bodies pressed together.

Somehow Seto managed to walk us back into the room and shut the door so the cold air wouldn't blow in. I let him guide us back to the couch and gasped, startled, as he pulled me down with him onto the cushioned surface. I lost my balance for a second and ended up with my knees straddling his waist, and oddly above him this time.

His hands were on either side of my waist now, and he looked up at me playfully, sliding his hands up to my shoulders and pulling down the sleeves of my jacket. I shrugged my arms out and folded them against his chest as I leaned down to kiss him again.

He started to unbutton my shirt and his kisses moved to the small v of exposed skin at the base of my neck. As he continued to undo the buttons he leaned back onto the armrest, pulling me down with him so that I was lying on top of him, with both knees hugging either side of his on the wide couch.

I let myself fall into him, but as I did so I knocked my right arm against the armrest, and I pulled back, wincing.

Seto looked up at me, his gaze concerned, and he propped himself up on his elbow. He reached up and brushed some of my hair from my face, letting the side of his hand trace the curve of my cheek.

I blushed as I saw the tender look in his eyes, and closed my own, leaning in for another kiss.

But just before our lips met a familiar ring came from the table next to us and Seto groaned, falling back onto the couch. He reached out behind him and grabbed the cell phone off the table, answering it rudely.

"What is so important that you are calling at 12:30 in the morning, New Years Day? … Yes, it _is_ New Years here." He growled.

I sat up and pulled my jacket back on. He continued to listen to the voice on the other end as I stood up and headed towards the door.

As I turned the knob he hung up and quickly got to his feet. "Where are you going?" I could hear panic in his voice.

I looked down at the floor, my back still to him and squeezed my eyes shut against the tears. "Honestly, Seto, if you can't even set aside one hour for me I don't think I can take it. You're obviously too busy for this." I threw the door open with a bang and slammed it equally as forcefully, ignoring Seto's "wait!"

I stood outside, anxiously pushing the elevator button. When it didn't open immediately I spun around and ran down the stairs instead. Not caring that we were God knows how many flights up.

Outside, and out of breath, I waved down a cab and quickly got into the back. I looked out the window, hoping to see Seto there, rushing after me. But there was no one there, and I told the driver to take me back to my hotel, not able to keep my anger from choking me as I tried to speak.

I looked out the window and the lights began to blur. I tried to wipe the tears out of my eyes, but they continued to fall regardless.

I had been wrong; I wasn't able to understand him. Even knowing that what he did was important, I couldn't take it that he had answered that cell phone when things were just starting to feel right.

I'd made up my mind.

.------.

O.o There are no notes for this chapter.

-

So am I evil? Looks like Seto and Ryou are over. O well, too bad for them.

And now for the YGOHPYBNYQTS, also known as I got bored one day and gave each Yu Gi Oh character a happy bunny quote and now I've decided to share since I have nothing better to do. (Some characters are not included. If you have any ideas let me know and I'll include them).

Enjoy! …

Yami no Yugi: It's all about me. Deal with it.

Jonouchi: Skool makes you sopper smartt.

Anzu: Life. Get One.

Otogi: Let's focus on me.

Honda: Hooray that crazy person is here!

Ryou: Make the stupid people shut up.

Yami no Bakura: I'm bad and you love it.

Seto: I just realized I don't care

Mokuba: Buy me stuff and I'll be nicer.

Mai: Driving like psycho is fun

Malik: Cute but kind of evil

Yami no Malik: Crazy doesn't even begin to cover it.

And there you have it, a random waste of fifteen minutes.

--SC


	8. Thesis Statement

_Disclaimer: IDNOYGO … try saying that acronym out loud, it's kind of fun._

City Lights  
SidewalkChalk2718

-

I've finished this story much quicker than I thought I would. I still have a month before my summer is over, and I'm really tempted to write another one. As it is, I plan on writing longer fics during the summer and occasional one-shots during the rest of the year. The only problem is deciding which fic I could write in just a month. It took me over a month just to _plan _this fic, and I was working off the remains of one I'd already written too. I can't imagine what it'll be like to start from scratch.

Most likely my next story will be my "beach fic", as I call it affectionately. It's basically the result of an entire pairing/ subplot I removed from City Lights. Because a lot of the scenes would be the same, just altered for a different setting / time, it wouldn't be too hard to put together…

Tempting. By the way, this entire chapter is told from Bakura's point of view.

Otogi: Which story is that one, by the way?

SC: …

Malik: SC-kun's making a guilty face!

Otogi: …Why is Malik here?

SC: Because he's sexy! And I felt bad for yanking him out of City Lights.

Otogi: Oh… oh…OH! Wait, _that_ fic?

SC: YES!

What does Jessy-chan think, I wonder? Which fic will she want to beta next?

-

Yay! Record number of reviewers this chapter (and it's pathetic that I'm celebrating over five reviews, but oh well).

Desy: I wrote it! Actually… I had this written over two months ago. I've just been posting once a week in hopes that I'd get more reviews. I'm glad you like it, though. It's my first one, and now it's over! I feel a little sad… But I shall now move on to bigger and better ones!

Delta: Sorry, but Kaiba really did have business in NY, however I don't think that business would have been so _urgent_ had a certain someone now been in that city at the time… Enjoy the last chapter!!!

FlyingShadow666: Your anxiousness will shortly be alleviated! Behold, the final chapter of City Lights! Thank you, again, for being my most consistent reviewer! I hope Chapter 8 is up to par.

Atreyu the Slayer: I hear that a lot (that SetoxRyou is surprisingly sweet). It's really one of the under appreciated pairings…although I have no idea why they call it euroshipping. And I have to say, Ryou _is_ the bestest bomb diggyetist character ever! (Well, maybe except for malik… who's too sexy to be real).

Faikry: HAHAHA! I just had the BEST mental image of Ryou falling off the balcony. That didn't even occur to me, but now I wish it had. I might have used the idea! Poor Ryou, maybe things will go better for him before the story ends… in approximately 17 more pages…

-

**Thesis Statement**

We left JFK airport at four in the afternoon, two days after the New Year.

When the rest of the group had finally returned around three in the morning I was still awake, lying in bed. Otogi had cracked open the door quietly and whispered "Bakura-kun? Are you awake?"

I didn't reply. I hadn't moved for two hours. My body felt empty; I don't think I could have moved if I wanted to. I had little left in me.

Otogi left the lights off as he came in, shutting the door slowly and going straight to sleep. Eventually I did too. But only once I hit that point of exhausting numbness that left me no options but to fall into a deep but unsatisfying sleep.

I slept most of that day, and only woke up when my stomach decided that enough was enough. No one seemed surprised as I walked out grumbling for food. Everyone was still tired, and Jonouchi still hadn't woken.

As I ate Yugi and Otogi filled me in on what I'd missed. They had all had a great time, and there were plenty of adventures to relate. Jonouchi and Honda, of course, had gotten completely drunk (Mai bought the drinks). And while those two paraded around in goofy hats, blowing whistles and causing a disturbance in general, the rest of the group had enjoyed the music and the live news broadcast.

Otogi had even met some girls, and spent most of the evening flirting with them till they, like many of the women Otogi had flirted with, got so flustered they had to be carried off by their friends.

Those friends were lucky Otogi didn't move on to them next. I was beginning to wonder if he really was gay or if it was just my imagination.

I, of course, couldn't enjoy these stories as much as Otogi and Yugi had hoped. For the most part I hid my disinterest by focusing on my food, which wasn't too hard. I hadn't eaten last night or this morning, and it was now way past lunch. Then, after I finished lunch, and before they could get worried, I decided to go check out the pool.

Fortunately, no one else came with me. I found myself alone, floating on my back in the near-perfectly still water. The hollow sound that echoed beneath the water reinforced my emptiness. I alternated between letting the air leave my body, allowing myself to sink into the deep stillness, and then bursting back to the surface, gasping.

When I returned it was time for dinner, and I ate in silence before excusing myself to my bedroom to pack and then sleep.

Now, again seated in the window seat of row twelve, I was thinking about the long trip home.

The flight was mostly uneventful, unlike our trip here. After the requisite hassle of security and boarding we'd all settled into a tranquil silence. The plane wasn't nearly as packed this time. Both seats next to me were empty, a fact that I relished as it gave me plenty of room to relax my right arm against a pillow, entirely out of danger.

Our plane was flying into the sunset, so as the overhead lights flickered off, everything was lit with a warm, peachy glow that faded to a soft purple and then black. Light blue moonlight streamed through the windows, occasionally interrupted by the orange lights above those who continued to remain awake.

I watched all of this, half awake and half asleep, trying not to think. The clouds outside looked strange. They were so different when seen from above, like a big fluffy blanket instead of wispy streams or tiny puffs in a large blue sky.

The only blue one could see was the slight tinge of moonlight that reflected off their vapor surface. It was a deep, perfect blue, like his eyes.

Stop.

Planes always amazed me. Whenever I saw one I wondered how something so huge, and so heavy, could possibly take flight. They were not like birds, as many people thought. They were bulky and awkward, not sleek and mobile as birds were.

They had no definition to them, all smooth rounded sheets of metal designed to push through the air at unbelievable speeds. Unless, that is, they were shaped like a Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Stop.

The food we were served was typical for airplane fare. Small portions served in a cheap plastic tray. It wasn't bad, but it was too much like a microwave dinner with just a little too much preservative. I wouldn't have wanted to see the nutrition label on the box; it must have been atrocious.

I settled for picking at the rice and vegetables, avoiding the processed meat at all costs. They weren't so bad. Of course they didn't compare with the dinner he cooked at all.

Stop. Please.

I pushed myself out of my seat and practically ran back to the bathroom. There was no line, thank goodness, and I slammed the door behind me, feeling sick. But instead of throwing up, I just fell back against the wall and held my arms around my waist, leaning over slightly.

Tears began to fall down my cheeks and onto the floor before I was even conscious that I was crying. I choked on a sob, trying to hold it back, and ended up sucking in a harsh breath between clenched jaws. I was shaking, and my eyes were squeezed shut, so I didn't notice the door open until a voice shook me from my state.

"If you try and tell me you're okay this time, I will tell Otogi that you are in here crying, and then he'll murder Kaiba." Yami no Yugi spoke, calmly.

I didn't open my eyes, but I could hear him shut the door and lean against the sink so that he was facing me, a little to my left.

"Go ahead and do that." I muttered, seething. I suddenly felt an enormous anger well up inside me, and it made me even sicker. My legs were weak now, and my knees were locked so tight I had lost circulation.

"You don't mean that, do you?" The spirit's voice had an unbearable concern in it, and I finally collapsed to the floor, landing on my butt harshly.

I shook my head and pulled my knees up to my chest, burying my head in my arms. For a few moments I sat there, sucking in breaths and trying to calm myself down enough to tell him that I wanted to be alone.

"What happened?"

I bit my lip, realizing that no matter how much I wanted him to leave, I couldn't tell him to go. I clenched my hands into fists and began to sob as I told him.

"We were," my breath caught in one of those strange crying hiccups, and I paused for a moment. "He kissed me. We were kissing. And his arms were around me, and then we were inside, and on the couch. And his arms were so strong, and I didn't want to stop." I sobbed. "I liked it so much. The way his hands felt on me. And his kisses, too."

I was rambling now, almost incoherently, but Yami no Yugi continued to listen without interrupting.

"You wouldn't believe how much… I never knew I could want to be that…I just wanted to get closer and closer, I was never close enough. And then he answered his damn cell phone. Right before we-" I couldn't go on.

"And you expected something else?" I looked up at him, wide eyed.

"Of course I did! We were… He should have had the decency to wait! He could have waited till later!" I was mad again, although I knew I shouldn't be mad at Yami no Yugi.

"Later may have been quite a bit later, by the way things seemed to be going." He was entirely serious as he said this, but I couldn't help but blush.

Another long silence stretched between us, and I returned my gaze to the floor in front of me, awkwardly. Yami no Yugi sighed and sat down next to me, looking at the same spot on the floor as I was.

"You'll need to talk to Kaiba, you know, if you want to resolve this. He can't be expected to just drop everything whenever you want him to. That would be awfully selfish of you."

I wasn't angry this time, because I knew he was right.

"If he's going to be more attached to work than to me, then I don't want to be in a relationship at all." I felt like crying, again, as I said this. It hurt to think that this might be true.

"It's not a matter of loving work over you, Bakura. But you need to tell Kaiba how you feel so that you can compromise. We all have responsibilities, and sometimes those have to come before our desires. But that doesn't mean that we love those we must leave any less, or what we must do any more. Kaiba is dedicated to his company, for better or for worse. If he's even half as caring as you've told me he is, then I know that despite this, he still loves you more. But he cannot let go of his dream just for you. You both just need to figure out how to balance the two. Neither of you is perfect, you know."

I couldn't help but think that he'd wanted to say this for some time now. But, of course, I had been pushing him away from the start. Maybe if I'd just listened sooner none of this would have happened.

"I just…don't know what I want anymore." I replied.

"Fair enough. But Bakura…you'd better figure it out soon, before you can't get what you want back." He put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me with that expression that was serious and reprimanding, but somehow still caring – as though he was saying "I still have faith in you."

I nodded and took his hand as he helped me to my feet. And then, without warning, he just disappeared. I realized why I hadn't noticed the door open. He had used the shadow powers he still controlled, left over from his stay in the sennen puzzle, to materialize in the bathroom so no one else would notice he'd followed me.

I was grateful that I wouldn't have to explain why we'd been in there so long to Otogi, who was in the aisle seat across from my row. I could just tell him that I didn't feel well, and blame airsickness.

Of course Otogi wouldn't have assumed anything inappropriate, but he would have been curious nonetheless.

I twisted the knob for cold water and splashed some on my face, looking up to make sure the redness had left my face before I opened the door and returned to my seat.

"You okay, Bakura-kun?" Otogi asked as I sat back down. I nodded.

"I don't think the food agreed with me too well this time." He rolled his eyes and smiled at me.

"Yeah, it's gross, isn't it?" I nodded again and returned to staring out the window, feeling a little bit better. Or at least, I didn't feel like everything was crashing down all at once.

.----.

Seto's apartment was dark and empty as I stood there holding the small bag of stuff I'd left behind before the trip. My luggage was by the door, and I had been standing there for nearly ten minutes in the darkness, looking out the window and hoping unrealistically that Seto would walk in.

This was impossible, though. He wouldn't be back for at least another two hours. Yet I couldn't help but wish that he was here, and that everything was all better.

I sighed, remembering what Yami no Yugi had told me. This wasn't going to be easy. I needed to know what I wanted, and then I needed to talk to Seto, if that is what I decided on.

I made my way slowly down all seventeen flights of stairs, listening to the clank of my shoes on the metal.

And in my mind was the image of the spare key lying conspicuously on the counter. I didn't know how Seto would feel when he found it. In a way I hoped it would hurt him. I hoped it would hurt him as much as it hurt me to leave it there.

But then I felt horrible for thinking that, and only knowing that the door was locked stopped me from running back and taking the key with me.

The cab was waiting for me outside, and I told him the directions to Otogi's apartment before settling into the cheap leather seat and positioning my bags on my lap where I would hold them tightly. It was like a stuffed animal that you hugged when you wanted to feel safe, except less fluffy and lumpier.

As I looked out the window, still searching for a familiar pair of blue eyes, I realized this was the second time I was driving away from Seto, with tears blurring the view from a cab window.

When I reached Otogi's apartment I walked in, using the key he'd given me the week before. Dropping my bags on the couch, I walked over to his bedroom door and knocked, softly.

I heard a muffled curse from behind the door as Otogi scrambled around. "Is that you, Bakura-kun?" He muttered.

"Yeah," I replied, and eventually he opened the door. He was only wearing a t-shirt and a pair of red boxers, explaining the previous scrambling. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, I was just getting ready to, but it's no big deal. Why aren't you at Kaiba-kun's?"

"I said I'd be coming over here after the trip…" I answered, confused

"But I thought…" He yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes then stepped out into the hallway, leaning against the doorframe. "It's okay, but I'd thought what with you and Kaiba-kun hooking up that you'd be going back there. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." I lied. He knew. He stopped me from walking away by grabbing the back of my collar and yanking, gently.

"Oh no you don't." He replied, coolly, and then looked at me accusingly. "What are you doing here, Bakura-kun. Why aren't you waiting for Kaiba-kun so you two can make up?"

I flinched under his gaze then pulled myself out of his grip. "It's _nothing_." I replied, growing a little angry, and knowing that once again I was directing my anger at someone who didn't deserve it.

Otogi looked astounded.

"I'm…not fine. I'm going to go take a walk – clear my head… Alone."

"Okay, just be careful." He watched me as I walked out, still leaning against the doorway.

It was still relatively early in the evening, so the city was still bustling with life as I walked down the wide sidewalks. I was surround by bright lights and neon signs that flashed and glowed and sputtered and generally dazzled the eye. Crowds pushed past and with me, some large groups walking along cheerily, but few others like myself – alone.

Some people eyed me strangely, as though wondering why someone would be alone in the city this late at night. I didn't look like I was going anywhere in particular, and I didn't have the excited or anxious looked of one who was expecting to meet another.

I had fallen back into my comfortable distance. I wasn't a part of this crowd; I was a separate entity that was not affected by the lights, the sounds, or the feelings. And yet, no matter how much I tried to tell myself this, I knew it was untrue.

I was drowning in emotions right now, and I simply refused to acknowledge that, because it was what I had feared. I had known that if I let myself love Seto, this would happen. I would find myself overwhelmed by the pressures that came with just living.

I had thought that Seto would keep me from succumbing to this tidal wave, but in the end he hadn't. And that only made me angrier, and sadder, and more lost in this chaotic emotional overload.

Yami no Yugi's words came back to me. "Neither of you is perfect." I sighed, guiltily. Of course Seto hadn't been able to prevent this from happening. It wasn't his fault. He had held his hand out to me, and told me that it was to be alive. But I had not taken his hand.

Instead I had tried to wrap myself around him, clinging to him like a drowning man clings to a life vest, desperate and needy.

I had been selfish.

I should have realized that I didn't need someone – I _couldn't _have someone – be there solely to pull me out of my own emotional mess. What I needed what exactly was Seto had tried to give; I needed someone to say that I could do it myself, and to be there in case I forgot that.

Now I was lost, and confused, and entirely unsure of what I wanted. And that is where I had to begin as I rebuilt myself. I had to figure out what I wanted.

So I asked myself, why _wouldn't _I want to be with Seto?

I could never tell which Seto I was going to get. Would it be the Seto that coldly repelled all those around him and ignored the existence of anything that didn't conveniently fit into his little world? Or would it be the Seto who held me tight and made my heart race with desire and strength?

Would it be the Seto that wore a mask, or would it be the Seto whose eyes made me want to smile, and cry, and laugh all at once?

And then, what about his responsibilities? Could I take it? I had asked myself once already if I could understand that there were certain things he just needed to take care of. I had thought I could, but now I knew that I was too selfish. No matter how important his duties were, when I was with him I wanted him to be with me, and me only.

And then there was that small voice that had been nagging me for sometime, but I'd never acknowledged. Was this all too quick? What had it been, a week? I had only known of my feelings for him for a few days. So was I ready to _live_ with him?

These were the issues I needed to figure out. I started with the first, and realized that I didn't care.

So what if Seto wasn't always warm and caring. I knew, and had known for some time, that even when he wasn't outwardly kind, he was still the Seto I loved on the inside. I didn't mind that he didn't always show this. It made me feel special, that I saw a side of him – that he let me see a side of him – that no on else, except maybe Mokuba, could see.

That Seto was my Seto. I didn't have to share him, and I could be selfish. He was letting me be selfish.

And actually, it would have been weird if Seto suddenly changed. Seeing him acting civil around Yugi-tachi had surprised me, and it had scared the living daylights out of them. If Seto started being _nice_, they might die!

A totally nice Seto would be creepy.

I laughed. That was settled, then. His inconsistency didn't bother me at all.

But his work… He had devoted nearly half his life to his job, and that wasn't going to change. And yet, as I'd told myself before, he'd taken breaks, and even whole days off, to be with me. That meant that I was still important, even more important.

Yami no Yugi was right, we needed to talk. I didn't need him to drop everything for me – or at least I couldn't ask him to drop everything for me. But I could expect us to learn to balance things. If he was busy, I wouldn't bother him. But that meant that when he took time off, he would need to actually take time off. There was no halfway.

I could be patient, and I didn't need him to always be there. I just needed to know that when he was ready, I would have him to myself. I was human, so I couldn't be entirely unselfish. I could only compromise.

This answered my last question. Obviously it wasn't too soon to move in with him. If I was going to deal with his insane work habits, then I would need to be there to see him and be with him as much as possible in between late nights and early mornings.

I would still have my own bedroom, so it would be more like living in the same building instead of living together.

I looked up for the first time, breathing in deeply and opening my eyes to the world around me. The first thing I saw as I looked into the stream of lights and windows was a huge video screen above a plaza flashing one word into my face.

Language.

Granted, it was actually the lyrics to a music video that was playing on the giant screen, advertising some new artist. But I couldn't help but smile at the irony.

Language is exactly what this had been all about. Just like the paintings, where only one word was perfect, Seto's little moments, his precisely chosen words, were just what I needed. They completed me, and gave me the strength to overcome my irrational fears, just as the words completed the paintings and revealed the deeper meaning behind them.

The words gave the pictures depth that simpler vocabulary couldn't give. Seto's strength let me reach into my own, deeper emotions in a way that no one else's presence could.

And, again, I had lost my ability to use or recognize language properly, just like I'd written in my essay. I hadn't talked to Seto, and I had assumed that my actions would speak for themselves.

But I had told Seto myself that it was language that gave actions and pictures power.

I was silly to think that everything would just fall perfectly into place. Relationships, like papers, needed revisions. You wrote a draft, and then you revised it, and then revised it again, until you had what you really meant to say.

Seto and I were bound to have our disagreements. But we needed to learn to work through that. Now all that was left was to revise, rewrite, and read over it again.

Language really did have power. It had the power to complete a person, to show them what they wanted – what they needed – and to allow them to enjoy it.

I turned around and started running back the way I came, heedless of the strange looks now. I raced by windows, parked cars, and fellow pedestrians smiling foolishly and wondering if they knew what they wanted as clearly as I did.

I knew.

I wanted Seto. Right now.

When I arrived at his door, I was out of breath and shivering with cold. I had been walking outside for over an hour. I knocked, softly at first, then louder when no one answered.

The door opened this time, and Seto's expression softened from a harsh glare to shock as our eyes met. I was too busy catching my breath to smile, and I had to hold onto the doorframe to stay standing, but my eyes were still locked with his.

"Ryou…" He whispered, still staring at me as though I would disappear any moment, and I nodded.

A few seconds passed before he stepped back, holding the door open. I stepped inside, still shaking.

Now that I was here, I realized that I didn't know what to say. Seto solved that for me, though. "You're freezing." He stated bluntly, and I nodded.

"I've been walking for about an hour." I replied. He sighed and shut the door behind me. I saw the spare key still lying on the counter, untouched.

"Go take a shower and warm up."

I thought about this, and then did as he said. I still needed to think about what to say. And besides, the hardest part was over. I was here.

I didn't spend too long in the shower, but I did turn the water as hot as I could stand it so that when I stepped out my whole body was pink. I toweled myself off quickly, and pulled on my jeans before looking at myself in the mirror. My skin was returning to a normal color, and I could see that I was actually quite pale.

The past few days – no, the past week – had been trying to say the least.

I heard Seto moving around in his bedroom, so I knocked on the door before stepping out. I had never been in his room before, so I'd never known how nice it was.

The overhead lights were off, but a small lamp illuminated the farthest corner of the room over by the bed.

The curving wall of windows continued directly across from me and ended against the to my right so that his room was shaped like a rectangle with one short side and a third of a long side cut off by the arc of windows.

Seto was leaning against them with his back to the city, looking off to the side and out through the glass panes. He turned to me as I came in, but didn't say anything. The expression on his face was a mixture of so many conflicting emotions: confusion, concern, frustration, and regret.

I wondered how much of this was because of me.

I walked over to and around the bed, which lay between us, and sat down on the side closest to him. As I looked up into his eyes with the towel still over my wet hair, he finally broke the silence.

"Why did you come here?" He wasn't resentful, just puzzled.

"I was wrong." I replied, maintaining eye contact and smiling softly. Was it wrong that, even though this conversation should have been serious or solemn, all I could think was how glad I was to be sitting here with him?

Seto frowned. "Why are _you_ apologizing?"

He was frustrated for some reason, and I couldn't figure out why.

"I was being immature. I shouldn't have expected you to just ignore your work every time I was around. It was selfish of me to-"

"No, you're wrong!" I flinched, and he winced when he saw this. Lowering his voice he continued, "I was… a jerk." He covered his eyes with his hand and bowed his head. "At first I was mad at you, but it wasn't your fault." He paused a moment, and then more quietly he added, " I have been hating myself for the past two days."

Seto looked up now and let his hand fall down to his side, the other gripping his elbow. "You were completely right. If I'm going to spend time with you, I'll spend time with you. Not my cell phone, and not my computer."

My heart was racing again, and I looked down at the ground, trying to control my emotions. When I looked back up, Seto was watching me, waiting for an answer. I smiled. His shoulders relaxed.

He walked over so that he was standing in front of me and mussed up my hair under the towel with his hand. "Hey!" I whined. As he let go the towel fell to the floor and I glared up at him sulkily.

His hand moved down over my eyes, gently brushing the lids closed with his fingertips. The next thing I knew his hand had moved to my cheek and his lips were pressed to my own.

The kiss was long, and deep. I felt the need in his touch and responded with my own desire, gripping the front of his shirt with both hands. When we finally pulled apart we were gasping, and I fell back onto the bed, pulling him with me.

Seto had one knee on the bed beside me and the other leg still on the floor. His body was above mine, supported by his elbows. I scooted back a bit so that my legs were drawn up on the bed and there was about a foot between us.

He looked at me, hesitant, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. I reached out with my left hand and grabbed his right. Seto understood and twined his fingers though my own tightly. We paused a second, both looking at the other with a small smile caressing our lips.

Seto pushed himself up onto the bed and moved forward so that he was once again above me. As he settled his body down over mine, I let my knees relax and part so that his legs were between my own. I could tell as he ran his left hand through my hair, leaning slightly to his right, that he was being careful not to hurt my arm.

Our lips connected again in a series of soft kisses that left me breathless each time. I gripped the bedcovers with my right hand fiercely as the need in our kisses grew. He continued to stroke my hair, and we pulled away again, looking at each other with eyes clouded by passion.

He was asking my permission. So I closed my eyes and parted my lips, letting him enter my mouth and explore it as he chose. His legs shifted slightly as he pushed himself against me, and I could feel our bodies twisting together, starting with his hand through my hair and ending with my legs around his own.

He reached his free arm around my neck and pulled me upwards and over him so that we were reoriented correctly on the bed.

We were in the same position we'd left off at last time – my legs straddling his waist and his arms wrapped around my neck and back. I could see the recognition in his eyes. He slid his hands slowly, smoothly down my sides to my waist and let them linger on my bare skin.

I sat up slightly to unbutton his shirt. Anxiously, he leaned up for another kiss, and I struggled to work the buttons through their holes as he kissed my lips, my neck, and my shoulders. His hands explored my body just as eagerly as his lips, and I hurried to pull his sleeves down so I could feel the warmth of his skin against my own.

Where we touched I felt my body burning: Our hands, our lips, our thighs.

He shifted again so that he was laying on top of me, and now the whole length of our bodies was connected, his head tucked next to mine, kissing the back of my neck. My back curved upwards, pressing our hips together. We were both responding to each other with gasps and moans, and I wrapped my fingers through his pant loops, pulling down the zipper with one hand and running my fingers along the downward line of his hips with the other.

Suddenly he flinched and pushed himself onto his elbows, separating our bodies. His gaze was serious, and I felt my head clear a little, as I looked up at beautiful, midnight blue.

"We shouldn't do that." He said, quietly. My body said yes we should. But as I looked up I realized he was right. I nodded, and he resumed his kisses, starting with my forehead and working down in a straight line to my lips.

I thought, as he reached over and turned off the lamp, that I had finally simplified my thesis.

.----.

I woke the next morning spooned against Seto, one of his arms wrapped under and around my waist and the other gently laid over my arm, his hand cupping my shoulder. Sunlight was just beginning to stream through the windows; I realized that this is what woke me up.

I could feel Seto's gentle, even breath against my neck, tickling my ear.

I snuggled back against him, enjoying the warmth of his bare chest against my back, and feeling like a content little kitten. I smiled and closed my eyes.

Seto shifted behind me, and I heard his breathing quicken a little. He tightened his grip on my waist and pulled the blanket up over my shoulders, finding my hand with his own and wrapping his fingers around mine.

I turned around so that I was facing him, still holding his hand, and buried my face in his shoulder. "Suki desu," I whispered. (1)

He moved the arm around my waist so that it was over my neck and began to play with a lock of my hair, smiling in a way that left me more breathless than our kisses had last night. "Anata ga daisuki desu." He replied, softly. (2)

He blinked, suddenly, and placed his hand on my forehead, frowning slightly.

"You have a cold." He stated. I confirmed this with a small sneeze. He laughed and hugged me tightly. "I'm going to go get some medicine." He sat up and swung his legs off the bed, standing up quickly and walking towards the bathroom. I followed him with my eyes till he was gone then sat up myself and pulled my knees up to my chest.

My jeans were very wrinkled from having slept in them, and from the other activities last night. But it wasn't like I hadn't done that before. Slept in them, I mean. Last night was a first for the other things.

When Seto returned he was carefully balancing a spoonful of thick red liquid. He bent over and held it out for me, his hand cupped underneath to prevent it from spilling. I swallowed the medicine quickly then stuck out my tongue in disgust.

"Yuck." I wrinkled my nose.

Seto smiled and sat down next to me, holding my hand and letting me lean against his strong shoulders.

I looked over at the clock and saw that it was a little past eight.

"Weren't you supposed to meet that man with the accent today?" I remembered, randomly.

"The plane was delayed." He stated calmly.

"Again?" I asked, incredulous.

"_My _plane was delayed." I looked up at him, very confused. Then I realized what he meant and grinned broadly. He was going to stay with me, at least for this morning.

I let Seto pull me back down onto the bed next to him, our shoulders touching and our hands still linked.

He pushed himself up onto his side and reached over to play with my hair again – he seemed to like to do that – but before he could lean in further a cell phone started ringing.

_My_ cell phone started ringing.

"Now who's too busy?" He asked, smirking. I let it flip to voicemail as we started to kiss, but it began to ring again immediately and I groaned.

"Go ahead," He muttered.

I sat up and grabbed the phone off the table where I'd set it last night somewhere between kisses. "Moshi moshi," I answered grumpily.

"Where the hell are you?" Otogi yelled angrily. I winced.

"Otogi-kun?" I replied to be sure.

"Are you at Kaiba-kun's?" There was a long silence.

"Yes."

"Did you have sex?" There was an even longer silence. I was blushing, and Seto laughed, obviously able to hear the conversation.

"Hey Yugi," I heard Otogi yell in the background. "They had sex."

"We did not!" I yelled back before hanging up.

Seto sat up and wrapped his arms around my waist, kissing the back of my neck. "You're friends are insane." He murmured. I shrugged, unable to deny it. "So what now?" I turned to look at him, confused, and he leant down on one elbow, smirking.

"Hm?" I replied.

"We have the whole morning." He stated.

I smiled, then smiled bigger, then nearly tackled him into the pillows as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and started kissing him repeatedly.

I was so happy that it didn't matter that he was laughing instead of kissing me back. After all, there would be plenty of opportunities for him to kiss me now. But hearing him laugh would still be my rare treat.

I intended to enjoy that morning as much as I could.

.----.

Notes…

(1) I like you in a loving way. Aishiteru means I love you but is used more between people who've been dating seriously for a while.

(2) I like/love you so much.

-

I can't believe it. I actually finished! I feel like crying! Yay for my first fic ever completed!!!!!!!!!!

Otogi: Okay, time for the next one, right!

SC: Anxious, are we?

Otogi: Of course, it's all about me!

SC: -.-

I have one last thing to say before my thank-you's, I will _never_ fall asleep in the middle of a chapter again. Halfway through the first scene of this chapter I decided to take a nap, and I had the most disturbing dream.

Seto and Ryou were standing before a river with the rest of the gang lined up behind them. For some reason they needed to cross the river, so Seto and Ryou started holding hands and saying "With the power of love and friendship, I know we will make it through this." Then, suddenly, they merged together, which resulted in a white haired Kaiba Seto… with breasts.

I woke up instantly thinking "What the HECK!" And now the image is forever imprinted in my brain. Seto with breasts…

I blame 4Kids.

Moving on…Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and super special awesome thanks to Jessy-chan for being an excellent, patient beta reader. She really went out of her way to read through all this and give me her valuable insight, despite her hectic schedule. Much love, Ryou…I mean Jessy-chan!

And so, until next time!

--SC


End file.
